UC-NRLF 


B    M    DID    STE 


BRITISH      ISLES 


Rev.   R.  Harcour 


THE  LIBRARY 

OF 

THE  UNIVERSITY 

OF  CALIFORNIA 


PRESENTED  BY 

PROF.  CHARLES  A .  KOFOID  AND 

MRS.  PRUDENCE  W.  KOFOID 


r^T^cf' 


"The  drying  up  a  single  tear   has   more 

Of  honest  fame,   <fan   shedding  seas  of  gore. 


I^MBLES 


By    Rev.    R.    HARCOURT. 


WITH  ENGRAVINGS. 


All  travel  has  its  advantages.  If  the  passenger  visits  better  countries,  he  may 
learn  to  improve  his  own  f  and  if  fortune  carries  him  to  worse,  he  may  learn  to  enjoy 
his  own.— Johnson. 


SECOND      EDITION. 


New  Vop^: 

.CARLTOX    &    LANAHAN. 

SAN  FRANCISCO:  E.  THOMAS. 
CINCINNATI:    HITCHCOCK    &    WALDEN. 
1870. 


Entered  according  to  Act  of  Congress,  in  the  year  one  thousand  eight  liundred 
and  sixty-nine,  hy 

R.     HARCOUET, 

in  the  Clerk's  Office  of  the  United  States  District  Court  for  the  District  of 
New  Jersey. 


To 

JAMES    McELEOT 
Of  Albajsy,  K  Y., 

AND    HIS   MOST    EXCELLENT    LADY, 

This  Volume  is 

affectionately  and   gratefully  (s)edicated, 
BY  THE  AUTHOR. 


INTEODUCTION. 


The  following  sketches  were  made  by  the  Author, 
(lui'iug  a  vacation  in  Europe,  and  their  substance 
embodied  in  a  course  of  lectures  delivered  before  his 
own  people,  last  Avinter.  In  this  volume,  he  has  given 
them  a  more  permanent  form,  hoping  the  reader  may 
derive  some  of  the  pleasure  and  profit  experienced  in 
their  collection. 


PAGE. 

I.-LIFE  ON  THE  OCEAN  WAVE 1 

II.-CITY  OE  LONDONDEKRY : ' 21 

III.-A  STROLL  AROUND  DERRY 27 

IV-DUNLUCE  CASTLE 34 

y.-THE  GIANT'S  CAUSEWAY 41 

VI. -A  DAY  IN  BELFAST 51 

VII.-DUBLIN 64 

VIII.-IN  AND  AROUND  DUBLIN *75 

IX-THE    VALE  OF  AVOCA 81 

X.— GLIMPSES  AT   IRELAND 86 

XL-MY  CHILDHOOD  HOME 95 

XIL -IRELAND  AND  THE  IRISH 102 

XIIL-ST.  PAUL'S,  LONDON 131 

XIV.-WESTMINISTER  ABBEY 136 

XV.-THE  TOWER  OF  LONDON 143 

XVL-THE  ROYAL  HOME 153 

XVII.-THE  BRITISH  MUSEUM 160 

XVIIL-THE  WORLD  IN  A  NUTSHELL 165 

XIX.— A  SABBATH  IN  LONDON 170 

XX.-THE  THAMES  AND  ITS  SIGHTS 177 

XXL-GRAVES  OF  THE  GREAT  AND  GOOD..! 186 

XXII.-HAUNTS  OF  ROYALTY 192 

XXIIL-OXFORD 200 

XXIV.— ENGLAND  AND  THE  ENGLISH '. 207 

XXV.-CITY  OF  GLASGOW...: * 247 


X  Contents. 

PAGE. 

XXVI.-THE  CATHEDRAL  AND  NECROPOLIS 264 

XX\TG[.-IN  ftND  AEOUND  GLASGOW 260 

XXVIII.-THE  CLYDE  AND  ITS  SIGHTS 264 

XXIS.-A  SABBATH  IN  GLASGOW 270 

:^XS;. -PAISLEY 274 

XXXI.— THE  LAND  OF  BURNS 278 

XXXIL -EDINBURGH 287 

XXXIII.-HOME  OF  JOHN  KNOX 293 

XXXIY.— HOLYROOD  PALACE 305 

XXXV.— OUTSIDE  THE  CITY  OF  EDINBURGH 313 

XXXVI.— MELROSE  ABBEY 323 

XXXVII.— HOME  OF  SIR  WALTER  SCOTT 327 

XXXVnL— SCOTLAND  AND  THE  SCOTCH 332 


Full  Page    Illustrations. 


PAOB 

1.  RURAL  CHURCH 20 

2.  GIANT'S  CAUSEWAY 40 

8.  METHODIST  COLLEGE 50 

4.  IRISH  CROSS  AND  ROUND  TOWER 80 

5.  CHILDHOOD   HOME 94 

6.  ST.  PAUL'S,  LONDON 180 

7.  TOWER  OF  LONDON 142 

8.  WINDSOR  CASTLE 152 

9.  GLASGOW  UNITERSITY 246 

10.  CITY  OF  EDINBURGH 286 

11.  HOLYROOD  PALACE 80^ 

12.  ABBOTSFORD 326 


Opinions    of    the    Press. 


"'Rambles  Through  the  British  Isles'  has  received  numerous 
and  highly  complimentary  notices  from  the  Press — a  compliment 
Avhich  it  richly  merits." — Christian  Advocate. 

"  The  Author  is  a  pleasant  and  entertaining  writer,  and  describes 
in  a  very  clever  manner  the  sights  and  scenes  which  he  witnessed 
in  his  tour.  The  volume  will  be  found  an  agreeable  companion, 
and  will  enable  the  reader  to  spend  very  pleasantly  an  occasional 
hour  in  '  rambles  through  the  British  Isles,'  without  the  unpleasant 
sensation  of  sea-sickness,  which  the  author  so  graphically  de- 
scribes."— MetJwdist  Recorder.      ^ 

"  The  name  of  Mk.  Harcourt  will  be  recognized  as  the  author 
of  several  illustrated  articles  in  the  'Repository.'  The  present 
volume  contains  a  full  report  of  his  *  rambles '  through  England, 
Ireland,  and  Scotland,  written  in  the  same  style.  They  are  very 
readable,  and  'put  some  things'  in  a  form  somewhat  different 
,from  that  of  other  travelers  and  writers." — Ladies^  Repository. 

"The  Author's  rambles  through  the  isles  of  his  native  Britain 
are  full  of  historic  recollections,  as  if  he  were  tracing  the  memo- 
ries of  the  perceptions  of  his  own  spirit  in  a  former  state  of  exist- 
ence. But  he  lives  in  the  present  as  well  as  in  the  past,  and 
the  living  scenes  and  characters  of  Britain  are  alive  in  his  pages. 
Home-staying  people  see  in  all  those  things  all  the  more  visibly 
through  the  eye  of  an  acquaintance  and  friend,  and  there  are  thou- 
sands, we  trust,  who  will  be  glad  to  see  them  through  Mr.  Har- 
COURT's  trusty  optics." — Metlwdist  Quarterly  Review. 

'^^T  Foi'  additional  notices  see  last  pages. 


OURNAL, 


Life  ox  the  Ocean  "W^aye. 

And  the  gathoiing  together  of  the  -waters  called  He  Seas.  —Moses. 


'^'^r^'pYP^  HE    morning  of  June   6th  was  all  that  could 
tf^^^^-^Afl    be  desired,   free   of   clouds,   and    filled   with 


laughing,hopeful  sunshine.     At  twelve  o'clock 
our  good  ship  "  Europa  "  cast  loose  from  her 


n&A'^C^  dock,  and  witli  a  right  good  will,  commenced  her 
■  -^  ocean  trip.  Our  sail  down  thd  bay  of  New  York 
was  as  pleasant  as  could  be  expected.  Staten  Island 
looked  beautiful,  garden  of  Eden  like,  as  we  glided 
swiftly  past  it.  At  two  o'clock  the  dinner  bell  rang,  when  we  all 
made  "double-quick"  time  for  the  saloon,  in  order  to  make 


2  Journal. 

sure  of  our  seats  at  the  table.  My  friend  Mr.  L.  and  myself  were 
more  fortunate  than  some  others,  in  securing  just  the  seats  we 
wanted.  All,  I  think,  enjoyed  the  dinner  much,  the  only 
enjoyable  meal  which  many,  judging  from  present  appear- 
ances, will  have  for  some  time.  "We  have  on  board  sixty-four 
officers  and  crew,  one  hundi-ed  and  one  cabin  passengers,  one 
hundi-ed  and  fifteen  steerage ;  making  two  hundred  and  eighty 
souls  in  all.  We  are  now  out  of  sight  of  Sandy  Hook,  and  the 
Naversink  hills  are  receding  into  a  far-distant  background,  and 
soon  will  be  beyond  the  range  of  our  vision.  At  4  p.m.,  we  bade 
adieu,  for  a  little  time,  to  the  land  of  the  free,  the  home  of  the 
loved  and  the  brave.  We  are  now  at  sea,  with  the  heavens  above, 
and  the  rolling,  tossing,  restless  ocean  all  around  us.  Thus  far, 
I  have  enjoyed  the  scenery  and  the  sailing  very  much.  Just  now 
we  are  struggling  with  an  angry  sea.  Old  Neptune  seems  to 
say,  by  his  actions,  "  I'll  shake  you  with  my  might,  so  that  you 
shall  turn  back,"  but  it's  no  use.  Old  Nep.  "Europa"has 
seen  your  antics  too  often  to  be  frightened  by  these.  She  has 
had  the  victory  many  times  in  the  past,  and  she  wiU  have  it 
again !     So,  dash,  dash  away ! 

But,  how  changed  the  aspect  of  affairs  on  board !  A  short 
time  ago  all  were  cheerful,  gay,  happy !  Now  happiness  seems 
to  have  left  us,  and  fear  and  pain  are  j)ictured  on  every  face. 
The  high  resolves,  the  brave  defiances,  of  riiauy  who  came 
aboard  in  the  settled  determination  that  they  would  not  be  sea- 
sick, has  been  exchanged  for  feelings  too  horrible  for  descrip- 
tion. Now,  while  I  pen  these  words,  my  friend,  Mr.  D„  from 
Albany,  is  leaving  a  hard  time,  poor  fellow !  I  wish  I  could 
help  him.  He  is  now  leaning  over  the  ship's  side,  trying  to  cast 


Life  on  the  Ocean   Wave.  3 

out  Jonah.  Having  a  few  good  lozenges  in  my  pocket  at  the 
time,  I  gave  him  one,  thinking  it  might  help  him,  but,  alas ! 
alas !  like  many  quacks,  I  did  not  understand  my  patient's 
case ;  and,  instead  of  assuagmg  his  misery,  it  made  him  ten' 
times  worse.  This  w^as  a  lesson  which  I  did  not  forget  during 
the  remaining  part  of  the  voyage,  and,  indeed,  I  am  fully  con- 
vinced that  there  is  no  remedy  for  sea-sickness!  And  the 
many  articles,  mentioned  ui  hand-books  of  travel  as  positive 
cura,  only  augment  one's  misery.  Let  nature  have  her  course, 
do  not  check  her  efforts,  but  aid  her,  and  she  will  clear  out, 
renovate,  and  work  such  an  entire  change  in  your  system  as 
you  never  anticipated. 

I  have  just  come  up  from  below,  and  oh,  dear!  what  a  scene 
of  suffermg  in  almost  every  state-room.  All  sick,  sick.  One 
poor  fellow  exclaimed,  as  I  jiassed  by  his  door,  "I'll  die  I  I  shall 
die !  oh,  dear,  dear ! "  Farther  aft  I  heard  another,  a  youjig 
lady,  who  was  one  of  the  gayest  and  liveliest  of  the  company 
about  two  hours  ago,  exclaim,  "  Oh,  mother,  mother !  hold  my 
head,  oh!  oh!  oh!"  and  I  did  not  wait  to  see,  or  hear  what 
followed.  I  am  now  seated  about  mid-ship,  the  sea  is  quite 
rough,  but  not  half  so  w^ild  as  I  have  seen  it.  Most  of  our 
company  have  gone  below.  My  I'oom-mate,  Mr.  L.,  who 
brought  with  him  many  preventatives,  has  had  to  succumb  to 
the  sea-king.  I  expect  he  will  bring  me  down  by-and-by,  but 
I'll  try  to  fight  it  out,  as  long  as  possible,  and  if  he  insists  on 
all  hands  paying  tribute,  then  I  will  yield.  Supper-bell  has  just 
called,  and  as  I  am  still  feeUng  well  I  will  try  and  answer,  for 
there  may  come  a  time,  before  long,  when  it  may  call,  and 
I  shall  not  be  able — like  many  now  on  board — to  respond. 


4  '  Journal. 

After  supper,    only  a  few  at  table,  not  a  lady  to  be  seen,   all 
sick : 

The  sailors  have  just  thrown  out  the  log,  to  measui'e  our 
speed.  We  are  gliding  along  at  the  rate  of  twelve  miles  per 
houi-.  It  has  grown  quite  dark,  the  sea  is  rough,  very  rough ; 
and  the  wind  is  high,  strong,  and  fair.  I  must  lay  down  my 
pencil  until  to-morrow.  I  do  not  much  like  the  thought  of 
going  below,  and  shutting  myself  up  for  the  night,  but  there  is 
nothing  else  for  me  to  do — I  must  come  to  it.  So  giving  my- 
self into  His  care  and  keeping  who  once  walked  uj^on  the 
waters,  and  who  holds  the  sea  in  the  hollow  of  His  hand, 
I  retire  for  the  night,  fearing  no  evU. 

Sunday  morning,  June  1th. 

Had  as  good  a  night  s  rest  as  could  be  expected,  under  the 
circumstances.  All,  or  nearly  aU,  were  sick,  and  could  not 
keep  the  terrible  fact  a  secret,  to  the  annoyance  of  the  few  who 
remained  well.  This  morning,  when  trying  to  get  into 
my  boots,  the  old  sea-monster  was  too  much  for  me,  and 
I  had  to  yield  to  his  power,  yet  not  without  a  struggle.  Think- 
ing there  might  he  some  show  for  me,  could  I  only  get  nijon  my 
back  again,  I  beat  a  hasty  retreat,  but  it  was  too  late,  my 
courage  failed,  and  Neptune  gained  the  day !  Since  coming  up 
on  deck,  I  have  felt  more  comfortable,  but  not  well.  "We  have 
reached  a  place  called  "Nantucket  Shoals.''  It  is  quite  foggy 
and  unpleasant.  The  breakfast-bell  just  called  to  arms ; 
shall  go  down  and  try  a  little  tea.  Breakfast-table,  waiter 
back  of  my  chair.  '-Whatshalll  send  you  sir?"  "A  cup  of 
tea,  and  a  little  dry  toast."  Tea  and  toast  were  placed  before 
me.     Tea  did  not  taste  good  as  usual;  called  waiter.     "Take 


Li  fie  on  the   Oeean    IVave.  5 

this  tea  away  and  give  me  a  cup  of  coffee.''     Colfoc  not  much 

better.     Well,  I  must  be  hard  to  please After  all 

I  suppose  the  fault  is  not  so  much  with  the  tea  or  coffee,  as 
with  my  stomach,  so  if  I  am  to  scold  any  one,  I  must  myself,  or 
old  Neptune,  for  bringing  about  such  a  state  of  afl'airs. 

Our  doctor  came  to  me  this  morning,  to  know  if  I  woukl 
preach.  I  told  him  I  was  sick ;  and  when  he  insisted  on  my 
preaching  in  the  evening,  if  not  in  the  morni:)g,  I  told  him  that 
it  would  depend  not  so  much  on  the  state  of  my  head  or  hgart, 
as  upon  the  state  of  my  stomach ! 

Txesdai/,  June  Qth. 

I  have  omitted  part  of  Sunday,  and  all  of  Monday,  nor 
will  I  try  t(i  picture  the  horrible  sensations  of  sea-sickness 
which  I  endured  during  that  time.  Suffice  it  to  say, 
I  wished  myself  back  again  on  terra  firma.  It  is  said  that 
Henry  Ward  Beecher,  being  asked  how  lie  felt  during  his  sea- 
sickness, exclaimed,  "The  first  day  I  thought  I  should  die, 
and  the  second  I  wished  I  had."  I  do  not  wonder  the  wag 
said,  "Only  let  mc  live  until  I  meet  that  fellow  who  wrote, 
'Life  on  the  Ocean  Wave.'"  And  Cato,  who  repented  only 
of  three  things  during  his  life,  has  included  this  as  one,  "To 
have  gone  by  sea,  when  he  could  have  gone  by  land."  The  old 
philosopher  must  have  had  a  taste  of  seasickness,  for  who  but 
the  initiated,  can  manifest  a  sufficient  abhorrence  of  a  sea  voyage. 
How  often  have  we  vowed,  that  if  God  will  only  spare  our  lives, 
and  return  us  in  safety,  we  will  never  again  long  for  "  a  home 
on  the  r.iging  deep." 

Thus  far,  we  have  had  a  very  flivorable  wind.     Our  captain 
says  he  never  made  better  time.     The  fog  of  Sunday  morning, 
2 


6  Journal. 

has  not  as  yet  cleared  away,  we  expect 'it  will  remain  with  us 
until  we  cross  the  banks  of  Newfoundland,  which  we  hope  to  do 
by  to-morrow  afternoon,  or  Thursday  morning.  Since  entering 
the  iog,  we  have  kept  ui^  a  constant  blowing  of  the  whistle. 
Our  captain  having  some  years  ago  lost  a  vessel  in  a  fog,  he  is 
now  more  than  usually  careful  and  watchful. 

Wednesday,  June  10th. 

Truly  God  is  good!  Over  800  miles  of  our  journey  j)assed, 
and  aU  is  well !  This  is  the  fourth  day  from  home.  I  am  now 
seated  in  my  state-room,  for  it  is  quite  wet  and  unpleasant  on 
deck.  Yesterday,  I  did  not  suflfer  much  from  sea-sickness,  and 
now  feel  that  I  am  getting  well.  To-day  we  saw  quite  a  new 
sight,  the  sporting  and  spouting  of  a  school  of  young  whales. 
They  threw  the  water  into  the  air  about  fifteen  or  twenty  feet. 
Soon  after  this,  we  met  the  steamship  "  Columbia."  Her  decks 
were  covered  with  passengers,  who  cheered  heartily,  and  were 
as  freely  resj)onded  to  by  our  ship's  company. 

Last  evening  we  had  some  instnunental  and  vocal  music,  in 
the  main  saloon.  Miss  S.,  (a  little  Scottish  lady,  from  New 
York),  entertained  the  company  for  about  two  hours.  I  wish 
yovi  could  have  looked  in  upon  us.  To  my  left,  some  six  or 
eight  were  playing  cards,  and  a  little  farther  on,  a  company 
drinking  wine,  and  something  somewhat  stronger.  On  the 
other  side  of  the  saloon,  a  few  were  gathered  round  a  checker- 
board, and  close  to  the  piano,  a  little  group  of  old  and  young, 
were  collected,  who  called  to  remembrance  the  songs  of  Zion. 
Among  the  many  which  were  sung  during  the  evening,  were 
the  following :    "  Rock  of  ages,"     '•  Come  to  Jesus,"     "  Oh, 


Life  on  the  Ocean   Tf^ave.  7 

how  T  love  Jesus,"  "  All  hail  the  power  of  Jesus'  name," 
"Out  on  an  ocean  all  boundless  we  roam."  At  10  1-2  p.m., 
■we  adjourned  to  our  state  rooms.  The  rules  of  our  ship  a^i-e, 
lights  extinguished  iu  the  main  saloon,  at  half-past  ten,  and  in 
the  state-rooms  at  eleven. 

This  morning  we  had  an  amusing  time  over  a  mock-trial ; 
any  thing  to  make  our  time  pass  pleasantly.  A  young  man 
havmg  been  accused  of  stealing,  was  indicted  and  arraigned 
for  trial.  Sir  John  Smith,  from  Chicago,  officiated  as  chief- 
justice;  a  jury  of  twelve  men  were  empaneled;  Hon.  James 
Saurin,  from  Massachusetts,  conducted  the  prosecxition,  with 
much  good  humor;  while  Watson,  Jones,  Brown,  Blew,  Black, 
&c.,  testified  for  the  prosecution,  and  Young,  Old,  Holmes,  and 
Hopeful  gave  evidence  for  the  defence.  The  jury  brought  in 
the  verdict,  "guilty,"  and  the  judge,  after  a  lengthy  speech, 
which  was  received  with  unanimous  and  hearty,  applause,  sen- 
tenced the  prisoner  to  the  penalty  of  one  of  two  things,  to  drink 
a  pint  of  salt  water,  or  sing  two  comic  songs.  I  need  scarcely 
say,  he  complied  with  the  latter.  Thus  do  we  try  in  many  ways 
to   get  rid  of  this  intolerable   monotony. 

Yesterday,  we  were  surrounded  by  a  dense  fog,  most  of  the 
day,  making  it  very  uncomfortable  on  deck.  After  tea,  to  our 
great  delight,  it  cleared  away.  The  sun  never  ajipeared  so 
l^eautiful  before.  He  seemed  to  have  clothed  himself  in  all  his 
golden  loveliness ;  and  what  added  still  more  to  the  cheer  of 
the  hour,  a  beautiful  rainbow,  one  of  the  most  perfect  I  ever 
looked  upon — God's  precious  bow  of  promise — appeared  on  the 
opposite  side  of  our  ship,  bringing  beautifully  to  mind,  the 


8  Journal. 

words  of  Holy  Writ,  "At  evening  time  it  sliall  be  light.'? 
How  much,  I  thought,  has  to-day  been  like  many  a  life, 
filled  with  clouds,  fog,  and  shadows,  up  to  the  evening  hour  ; 
then  comes  forth  the  Sun  of  Righteousness,  in  all  his  beauty, 
to  cheer,  comfort,  and  make  bright,  the  way  from  earth  to 
heaven. 

In  the  evening,  we  whiled  away  a  few  hours,  debating 
the  question,  "  Resolved,  that  there  is  more  joy  in  anticipation, 
than  in  realization,"  and  I  am  hapjjy  in  recording  the  fact,  that 
the  negative  of  the  question  carried  off  the  palm. 

Tlmrsdaij,  June  11th. 

I  am  now  seated  on  a  camp-stool,  on  the  aftt-r-deck.  The  day 
is  delightful,  "  not  a  cloud  doth  arise,  to  darken  the  skies. 

This  morning,  I  was  aroused  from  my  slumber  earlier  than 
usual,  to  go  up  on  deck,  and  look  at  a  new  sight — an  iceberg ! 
Never  shall  I  forget  it !  A  clear  sky,  a  calm  sea,  everything 
befitting  the  occasion.  There,  in  the  distance,  loomed  up  the 
Arctic  monster,  coldly  glittering  in  the  bright  sunlight.  We 
could  not  have  placed  it  in  a  better  position,  had  we 
ciesu-ed. 

It  was  about  five  hundred  feet  in  length,  according  to  the  eye 
of  an  experienced  seaman,  and  we  came  within  half-a-mile,  or 
less,  of  it.  The  part  which  was  above  the  water,  we  thought 
to  be  about  one  hundred  and  fifty  feet  high,  and  the  captain 
informed  us  that  three-fourths  of  it  was  out  of  sight. 

I  sketched  an  otitliue  of  the  crystalline  island,  as  it  appeared 
in  the  background. 


Life  on  the  Ocjian   Wave. 


^^i^yJj 


This  view  was  most  picturesqiie !  It  looked  like  the 
broad  side  of  a  grand  old  loaf-sugar  castle,  liaviug  a  beautilul 
Gothic  arch  in  the  •  centre,  made  by  the  dasliing  of  the  waves; 
and  as  perfect,  as  if  wrought  out  by  the  hand  of  man.  Last 
evening  we  passed  the  time  in  a  debate,  like  that  of  Wednesday. 
Our  subject  was,  "  Resolved,  that  novel-reading  is  an  evil." 
The  discussion  was  spirited  and  amusing,  if  not  profitable. 
This,  with  a  few  Scottish  songs,  closed  up  the  programme. 

Saturdajjy  June  loth. 
Sea  calm  as  New  York   bay.     Atmosphere,  cold   as  in  the 
month  of  Marcli.  Almost  one  week  out  on  the  ocean-deep  !    One 
week  away  from  home,   and  what  a  week !     In  it,  what  a  com- 


10    .  Journal. 

mingling  of  misery  and  mercy,  of  many  fears  and  many  favors, 
of  thoughts  of  home  and  prayers  for  loved  ones  !  I  am  now 
seated  in  the  main  saloon.  We  have  no  formal  debate  or  con- 
cert to-night ;  all  are  trying  to  enjoy  themselves  as  they  please. 
Some  are  reading  books,  some  newspapers,  some  are  writing ; 
some  ai-e  playing  checkers,  chess,  or  cards ;  some  are  talking  ; 
some  are  laughing ;  and  some  are  sleeping.  Oh,  dear !  what  a 
life !  What  pen  can  describe  this  intolerable  wei;riness  r"  No 
desire  to  read,  or  write,  or  talk,  or  do  anything  in  particular. 
Nothing  pleases,  every  source  of  amusement  seems  to  have  be- 
come exhausted.  I  confess,  I  have  no  love  for  the  sea;  in- 
deed, I  cannot  find  out  where  there  is  the  first  si)ark  of  enjoyment 
in  "A  Life  on  tlie  Ocean  Wave."  It  seems  to  me  that  John 
Newton  never  crossed  the  Atlantic,  or  any  other  ocean,  or  he 
would  not  have  written,  "  To  be  at  sea,  withdrawn  out  of  the 
reach  of  inniunerable  temptations,  "n^th  opportunity  and  a  turn 
of  mind  disposed  to  observe  the  wonders  of  God  in  the  great 
deep,  and  witli  the  two  noblest  objects  of  sight — the  expanded 
heavens,  and  the  expanded  ocean — continually  in  view,  and 
where  evident  interpositions  of  Divine  Providence,  in  answer  to 
prayer,  occur  almost  daily  :  these  are  helps  to  quicken  and  con-  • 
firm  the  life  of  faith,  which  in  a  good  measure,  supply  to  a 
religious  sailor  the  want  of  those  advantages  which  can  only 
be  enjoyed  upon  the  shore." 

Now,  all  who  have  been  to  sea,  know  that  it  has  the  opposite 
effect,  and  it  seems  to  me,  if  any  class  of  men  have  an  excuse  for 
crimes  and  misdemeanors,  sailors  are  that  class.  Look  at  them. 
Day  after  day  they  gaze  on  the  same  expanded  sky  and  ocean, 
varied  only  by  clouds  and  tempests.     Day  and  night  are  alike 


Life  0)1  the    Ocean   Jf'avc.  11 

to  tlicni,  and  the  more  furious  the  tempest,  the  greater  must  be 
their  exertion  and  cxposiu'c.  Is  sueh  a  discipline  good  tor 
quiclveniug  and  coutirming  a  life  of  faith  ?  Absurd !  It  is 
enough  of  itself  to  make  men  desperate.  And  it  is  no  longer  a 
wonderment  to  me  why  sailors,  as  a  class,  are  more  reckless  and 
(.1  od-forgetful  than  the  rest  of  mankind. 

To-day,  our  tickets  were  taken  up,  reminding  us  of  the  fact, 
that  Ave  arc  more  than  half  over  our  ocean-journey.  Speed  on, 
speed  on,  good  ship  "Europa,"  bearing,  us  swiftly  from  this  our 
night  of  suffering,  to  the  day  of  blessed  freedom !  I  have  just 
made  out  my  programme.  Instead  of  landing  at  Glasgow — as 
I  had  first  thought  of  doing — I  now  intend  to  get  off  at  Moville, 
then  pass  up  Lough  Foyle  to  Londonderry,  where  I  wish  to 
make  a  short  stay,  then  on  to  the  Giant's  Causeway.  After  seeing 
these  places,  I  shall  ijroceed  immediately  home,  by  way  of  Bel- 
fast— feeling  it  would  not  be  right  to  visit  Scotland  or  England 
before  first  going  to  my  childhood's  early  home — and  indeed, 
I  freely  confess,  I  am  more  anxious  than  ever  to  see  those  from 
whom  I  have  been  sei^arated  for  so  many  years. 

Sunday,  June  14±h. 

"  Light  beams  upon  the  ocean;  morn  is  here, 

The  promise  of  a  bright  and  peaceful  day ; 
In  humble  gratitude,  and  fervent  prayer. 

My  heart  goes  forth  to  meet  each  cheering  ray. 
Over  the  waste  of  waters  on  we  glide : 

But  whilst  the  favoring  winds  our  canvas  swell, 
My  thoughts  are  flowing  in  restless  tide. 

Back  to  the  distant  home  where  loved  ones  dwell. 
O  Saviour !  unto  thee  I  now  commend 

The  little  flock  which  gathered  'neath  my  care ; 


12  Journal. 

Be  thou  tlieu-  tender  Shepherd,  Guardian,  Friend, 

And  keep  them  safe  f  014  every  hurtful  snare. 
While  I  am  absent,  on  the  laud  or  sea, 

Oh,  suffer  not  one  precious  lamb  to  roam ; 
And  grant  my  happy  portion  it  may  be, 
Again  to  meet'  them  in  my  Sabbath  home."  • 

Monday,  Jwne  l^th. 
Two  days  more,  and  we  expect  to  see  land — not  an  unpleas- 
ant thing  for  wayworn  mariners  to  anticipate;  and  if  we, 
who  have  had  such  a  favorable  passage,  feel  anxious  to  see 
land,  what  must  be  the  longings  of  those  who  are  kept  for 
months  out  upon  the  ocean-waste. 

Yesterday,  my  second  Sunday  on  board,  was  one  of  our  finest 
days.  The  air  was  clear  and  bracing,  and  the  blue  canopy  over 
our  heads  seemed  more  beautiful  than  ever  before.  Rev.  Mr. 
Lowerie  preached  in  the  morning,  and  I  in  the  evening.  Most, 
if  not  all,  our  cabin  passengers,  I  am  happy  to  say,  are  pro- 
fessors of  religion.  Some  are  Episcopalian,  some  Baptist, 
some  Methodist,  some  Congregationalist,  but  the  majority  are 
Scotch  Presbyterian.  Yet,  though  we  differ  in  name  and 
doctrine,  we  are  all  one  in  sentiment  and  feeling,  and  every 
cabin  passenger,  with  one  exception,  joins  heartily  in  all  the 
exercises  of  the  holy  day.  Yea,  the  very  "  floods  clap  their 
hands,"  and  the  tumbling  waters  are  "joyful  before  the  Lord." 

"  Sabbaths,  like  way-marks,  cheer  the  pilgrim's  path, 
His  progress  mark,  and  keep  his  rest  in  view. 
In  life's  bleak  winter,  they  are  pleasant  days, 
Short  foretastes  of  the  long -long  sprmg  to  come. 
To  every  new-born  soul,  each  hallowed  morn 
Seems  like  the  first,  when  everything  was  new. 
Time  seems  an  angel  come  afresh  from  heaven ; 
His  pinions  shedding  fragrance  as  he  flies, 
And  his  bright  hour-glass  running  sands  of  gold." 


Life  on  the   Ocean   IVave.  13 

This  mornlnc:,  .1  school  of  porpoises  made  their  appeariince 
alongside  our  ship,  aud  by  their  juniping  aud  I'rolickiug, 
created  uot  a  little  amusement. 

Tuesday,  June  IQth. ' 

Last  night  many  of  our  passengers  had  a  relapse  of  sea- 
sickness ;  the  sea  was  very  rough,  aud  our  vessel  rolled  more 
than  at  any  former  time,  during  the  trip.  A  few  hours  ago,  we 
met  the  steamship  "  Britannia,"  two  days  out  from  Ireland 
l)ound  for  New  York.  A  ship  at  sea,  boldly  ploughing  the 
main,  is  a  noble  sight.  "  She  walks  the  Avater  like  a  thing  of 
life,  and  seems  to  dare  the  elements  to  strife." 

What  a  glorious  monument  of  human  invention,  that  has 
triumphed  over  wind  and  wave !  She  stretches  out  her  arms, 
aud  the  wilderness  and  sterile  north  are  made  to  rejoice  in  the 
luxuries  of  the  sunny  south.  She  has  bound  together  the  scat- 
tered nations  of  the  earth  and  isles  of  the  sea,  thus  strength- 
ening and  establishing  the  grand  brotherhood  of  the  human 
lamily. 

To  me,  this  meeting  was  no  ct.mmon  occurrence.  In  a  few 
hours,  I  expect  to  see  my  native  shores  ;  the  land  from  whence 

she  came. 

"  The  laud  ia  which  my  fathers  lived, 
In  days  of  other  years ; 
How  sweet  the  name  is  always  heard, 
And  pleasing  it  appears. 
"  The  land  ia  which  my  fathers  lived, 
And  also  had  their  hirth, 
In  which  were  sjient  the  happy  days, 
Of  young  and  joyous  mirth." 

Then  I  thought  of*  the  land  to  which  she  v:as  going,  the  land 
of  my  adoption  and  choice,  where  dwells  Annie,  the  wife  of  my 


14  Journal. 

heart.  America — the  dearest  sj^ot  on  earth !  "We  are  now 
gliding  along  at  a  good  rate,  the  wind  is  favorable,  but  the  sea 
looks  much  out  of  sorts.  Some  -of  the  passengers,  who  ven- 
tured out  on  deck  this  morning,  were  as  completely  soaked  as 
if  they  had  jumjped  overboard.  It  is  now  five  o'clock,  p.m.,  and 
about  ten  minutes  of  one.  New  York  time.  Before  this  hour 
to-morrow,  I  expect  (d.  v.),  to  be  in  the  city  of  Londonderry. 
After  a  few  songs  and  some  instrumental  music,  in  the  saloon, 
the  following  was  drawn  up,  to  be  presented  to  our  captain  on 
the  morrow : 

Whereas^  After  a  safe  and  pleasant  voyage,  we,  the  passengers, 
on  bo;ard  the  steamship  "Europa,"  desire  to  express  our  ajjpre- 
ciation,  of  the  polite  attention  we  have  received,  therefore, 
be  it  resolved,  that  we  hereby  tender  our  thanks  to  Captain 
Craig,  and  ofiicers  of  the  "Europa,"  for  their  uniform  kindness 
and  courtesy,  and  also  express  our  implicit  confidence  in  theu* 
professional  ability,  earnestly  hoping,  that  their  valuable  lives 
may  be  long  spared  in  the  perilous  duties  in  which  they  are 
engaged.  Signed  in  hehalf  of  Passengers. 

And,  now,  before  closing  my  journal,  I  have  a  pleasant  duty 
to  perform;  and  first,  in  reference  to  our  good  ship  "Europa," 
it  would  be  ungrateful  in  me  not  to  let  fall  a  few  words  in  her 
praise. 

She  is,  without  doubt,  one  of  the  safest  and  most  commodi- 
ous— though  not  the  largest,  fastest,  or  most  elegant — of  our 
ocean  steamers.  For  strength  and  excellence  of  construction, 
for  steadiness  of  movement,  and  comfort  in  general,  she  has  no 
superior  on  her  own  line,  and  but  few  on  any  other.  Her 
captain  (Craig)  is  a  public  favorite,  and  most  deserving  of  such 
esteem.     He  has  less  ostentation  than  most  men  who  follow 


Life  Oil  the   Ocean   Wave.  15 

his  callinc:.  On  the  evening  ■\\'hcn  the  complinicntarj-,  and 
icdl-ih^irvcd,  resolutions  were  drawn  up,  wo  tried  to  get  him 
into  the  saloon,  in  order  to  present  them — but  failed.  The  next 
morning,  we  again  tried,  but  Avith  no  better  success.  Then 
we  sought  to  catch  him  on  deck,  but  still  he  kept  out  of  our 
reach ;  and,  as  a  last  resort,  a  committee  was  appointed  to 
carry  them  to  him  in  his  deck-house.  Fears  being  entertained 
by  some,  that  he  might  even  refuse  to  accept  the  jiapcr,  if  pre- 
sented by  the  hand  of  one  of  Ms  own  sex,  a  selection  was  made 
out  of  the  "  fairest  of  the  fair,"  from  whose  hand,  he  could  not 
refuse  the  message,  and  only  in  this  way  wore  we  successful  in 
placing  the  resolutions  before  him. 

As  an  officer,  Ca]jtain  Craig  has  few  equals.  In  a  calm,  meek 
as  a  lamb,  but  in  peril,  brave  as  a  lion !  Among  the  i^assen- 
gers,  modest,  attentive,  sociable,  ever  ready  to  give  a  word 
of  cheer  to  the  sick,  and  a  helping  hand  to  the  weak.  One 
thing,  which,  is  worthy  of  notice,  and  with  which  I  was  more 
than  pleased,  was  the  absence  of  profanity.  During  the  entire 
voyage,  I  did  not  hear  a  profane  word  from  officer  or  subordi- 
nate. And  such  good  order,  discipline,  and  ability,  were 
manifested  by  officers  and  crew,  that  we  had  perfect  confidence 
in  the  hands  that  held  the  helm. 

And,  now,  a  few  words,  in  reference  to  those  with  whom 
I  associated  for  ten  and  a  half  days.  I  never  thought  it  possi- 
ble for  strangers  to  become  so  much  attached  to  each  other, 
in  so  short  a  season.  From  the  outset,  we  seemed  to  be  one 
family,  but  after  the  first  two  or  three  days,  during  which  time 
we  all  passed  under  the  cloud,  and  all  shared  in  the  same  pangs, 
and  w^erc  all  baptized  with  th-  same  experience,  there  was  a 


16  Journal. 

oneness  of  feeling  which  we  knew  not  before.  Every  one  tried 
to  do  his  or  her  part  in  making  the  weary  hours  fly  by  pleas- 
antly. 

My  acquaintance  with  several  of  oui*  company  assisted  very 
much  in  breakmg  up  the  monotony  of  the  journey.  Among 
these,  I  Avill  name  the  Rev.  Mr.  L.,  companion  of  my  state-room, 
in  whose  society  many  of  my  hours  passed  by  on  silver  wings. 
The  Eev.  Mr.  G.,  a  young  minister  from  Madison  Theological 
Seminary,  on  his  way  to  spend  a  year  in  Germany,  with  whom 
I  had  much  agreeable  chit-chat;  a  Mr.  B.,  from  Bergen,  N.  J. — 
who  is  in  company  with  ray  friend  L. — a  more  jovial  and 
friendly  soul  I  have  seldom  met.  Here,  also,  is  a  Mr.  J.,  from 
New  York  city,  on  his  way,  in  company  with  his  youngest  boy, 
to  visit  the  "  Gem  of  the  Ocean,"'  the  scenes  of  his  boyhood- 
days  ;  a  mild,  sweet-spirited,  Christian  man.  And  there  is 
the  life  and  soul,  of  our  company,  Mr.  T.,  a  Broadway  mer- 
chant, who  has  given  himself  a  leave  of  absence,  for  three 
months,  from  the  wear  and  tear  of  New  York  life  ;  he  is  the 
quintessence  of  good  humor.  To  my  right,  sits  my  friend  Mr. 
N.,  an  ardent  lover  and  defender  of  the  doctrines  of  Calvin,  and 
yet  social  and  good-natured  withal.  A  httle  farther  on,  sits,  or 
rather,  lounges,  Mi\  L.,  a  Scotchman  by  bulh  ;  he  is  going  to 
visit  his  native,  and  other  lands.  Almost  in  front  of  me,  hold- 
ing on  to  one  of  the  settees,  is  Mr.  E.,  a  good  young  man,  from 
Chicago,  who  but  recently  espoused  the  cause  of  Christ — and 
fears  not  to  make  it  known.  Standing  by  the  piano,  is  a  group 
ol  men  and  women,  who  by  their  sweet  songs  have  often  car- 
ried us  away  to  distant  lands  and  dizzy  heights,  on  angel- 
pinions.     To   the   right,  is   Miss   S.,  whose  voice   is   like  the 


Life  on  the   Oceiin    Jf^iire.  17 

warlilin^-  of  lilrds.  In  front  of  tlie  instrument,  with  his  hands 
upon  the  keys,  is  our  chief  engineer,  (now  oif  duty),  Mr.  B., 
whom  Mr.  T.  calls  a  "musical  prodigy."  At  tlie  left,  stands 
"our  mutual  friend,''  Mr.  F.,  one  ot  the  best  singers  m  the 
company.  But  time,  and  space,  would  fail  me,  to  tell  of  A.  and 
B.,  and  C.  and  D.,  with  whom  I  walked,  talked,  breakfasted, 
dined,  and  teacd,  in  good  fellowship. 

Wcdnesdau,  Jane  lltlb. 

I  am  now  seated  on  the  after-deck.  The  rugged- hills  of  old 
Ireland,  arc  full  in  view.  Wc  came  in  sight  of  land  this  morn- 
ing aljout  nine  o'clock.  The  day  is  all  wc  could  wish,  warm 
and  clear.  "We  expect  to  reach  "Moville"  about  tAvo  o'clock  ; 
this  is  a  small  place,  at  the  entrance  of  Lough  Foyle,  ami 
al)out  sixteen  miles  from  Londonderry. 

Ireland,  on  the  north,  presents  a  very  bold,  and  rugged  front 
to  old  ocean,  seeming  to  say,  by  her  position,  "  Hitherto  shalt 
thou  come,  but  no  farther;  and  here  shall  tby  proud  waves  l^e 
stayed."  Here  and  there,  among  the  rocks,  we  saw — by  the  aid. 
of  a  field-glass — small  patches  of  land,  under  cultivation,  which 
was  a  sight  pleasing  to  the  eye,  weary  of  the  restless  ocean. 
Even  the  graj'  shru bless  mountain-tops  looked  good,  after  so 
many  days  of  rocking  and  rolling  on  ''  old  ocean's  gray  and 
melancholy  was;e."  As  soon  as  we  entered  Lough  Foyle,  we 
had  a  grand  view  of  the  cruntry.  The  various  colors  of  the 
ripening  crops  make  the  hillsides  look  .like  ladies'  patch-work. 
A  variety  of  houses  are  now  in  sight,  which  by  the  aid  of  the 
glass  we  can  bring  within  almost  touching  nearness.  Most  of 
them  arc  quite  small,  having  I:)ut  one  or  two  windows  at  the 
most,  while  here  and  there  an  elegant  mansion  looms  up  in  the 


18  Journal. 

midst  of  a  cluster  *of  trees,  giving  a  look  of  prosperity  and 
liealth  to  the  surrounding  scenery.  At  about  three,  p.m.,  we 
who  wished  to  land  at  Londonderry,  were  put  on  board  a  little 
"  steam-tuy,"  which  they  said  would  car;  y  us  to  the  city.  I  am 
astonished  that  any  respectable  Company  should  employ  such 
a  mean,  filthy  mud-scow,  to  carry  passengers — one  which  in 
New  York,  would  be  thought  unworthy  to  convey  dead 
horses.  Well  was  it  for  us,  that  the  day  was  favorable,  for  had 
it  been  otherwise,  we  should  have  suflfered.  Sailing  uj)  the 
Lough,  the  scenery  on  the  banks  was  so  pleasing,  that  we  for- 
got, for  the  time,  our  surroundings  and  peril.  We  passed  by 
two  strong  fortilicatious,  and  several  old  ruins,  also  a  large 
handsome  house  called  the  "  Boom  House,"  erected  on  the  spot 
where  the  noted  Boom  was  fastened  which  was  placed  across 
the  river,  to  keep  out  relief  from  the  besieged  city. 

At  five  o'clock  we  reached  the  dock,  and  after  a  slight 
examination  of  our  baggage,  we  stepped  out  upon  the  shore  of 
the  Old  World.  The  romance  of  6ur  voyage  was  over — we 
again  stood  on  terra  fl/rma. 


"  The  gavage  loves  his  native  shore, 
Though  rude  the  soil  and  chill  the  air; 

Well  then  may  Erin's  sons  adore 
Their  isle,  which  nature  formed  so  fair.' 


■1 


How  beautiful  they  stand, 

Those  ancient  altars  of  our  native  land ! 

Amid  the  pasture-field  and  dark  green  woods. 

Amid  the  mountain's  cloudy  solitudes ; 

By  rivers  broad  that  rush  into  the  sea.— iarec?oM. 


L 


n. 

LOXDONDEEET. 

Stand  fast  in  the  faith  I  'tis  the  mandate  of  God, 

Once  uttered  in  anguish,  once  written  in  blood : 

From  the  cross  of  the  Lord,  from  his  throne  in  the  sky, 

It  was  breathed  over  earth,  it  was  uttered  on  high. 

Stand  fast  in  the  faith  1  though  the  conflict  be  hot. 

The  field  hath  no  strife  where  the  captain  is  not.— Brown. 

ki\¥  f^  j^ONDONDERRY  is,  indeed,  a  city  set  ui^on  a 

cl   'W'''^/Qo   ^"^^'   beautiful  for  situation    Standing,  as  it 

A    ./  ^  ^    does,  on  an  elevation   of  one   hundred  and 

;-iS  i:*v."-7^^j,~^y    nineteen  feet  aboye  the  level  of  the  river,  it 

f^  has  a  commanding  view  of  the  surrounding 

i^    country,  which  is  rich  in  every  thing  calculated 
to  make  a  perfect  picture.     Time  will  not  soon  eflace 
from  my  memory    the   impressions   received    when 
I  fi:st  entered  Londonderry. 

By   the   hungry,   half-clad    crowd    that   met   us,   when   we 
jumped  ashore,  I  could  almost  imagine  myself  a  jjasssenger 
of  one  of  the  vessels  that  brought  relief  to  the  famishing  citi- 
zens of  1G88.     There  they  stood,  the  most  woe-begonc  lookin"* 
3 


22  Ramlles  through  the  British  Isles. 

group  of  men  and  boys  I  ever  looked  upon.  It  seemed  as  if 
the  inmates  of  some  workhouse  had  turned  out  to  meet  and 
bi(.l  us  welcome  ;  and  it  required  no  little  effort,  to  keep  from 
becoming  impatient  with  some  of  them,  who  followed  us  with 
their  piteous  wails  up  to  the  door  of  our  hotel. 

It  was  on  the  afternoo'n  of  one  of  the  pleasantest  days  in 
June,  when  with  a  number  of  our  good  ship's  company,  I  took 
a  stroll  around  the  "  maiden  city." 

All  were  in  good  spirits,  the.  scenery  was  charming,  and  the 
memories  of  that  hour  will  not  soon  be  forgotten. 

The  extent  of  the  ancient  city,  enclosed  by  the  wall,  is  only 
about  twenty-six  acres,  and  that  occupied  by  the  wall  alone, 
almost  three  acres.  This  strong  rampart,  which  measures  an 
English  mile,  lacking  a  few  feet,  is  about  twenty-four  leet 
high,  and  its  breadth,  at  its  narrowest  part,  about  twelve  feet ; 
at  other  places  it  is  over  thirty  feet.  The  history  of  Derry  is 
without  a  parallel.  Twice  besieged  by  strong  armies,  but 
never  taken.  She  well  may  be  proud  of  her  history !  Dear  as 
was  the  trophy  of  Marathon  to  the  Athenians,  dearer  still  is 
the  wall  of  Londonderry  to  the  Protestants  of  Ireland,  nor 
would  any  thing  induce  them  to  demolish  that  pile  of  ancient 
masonry,  which  saved  their  fathers  from  the  bloody  and  galling 
chain  of  Papacy. 

Commanding  one  of  the  best  sights  of  the  river,  and  occujjy- 
ing  a  place  on  the  wall,  where  the  most  daring  service  was 
rendered,  stands  a  column,  called, 

walker's  testimonial. 

It  consists  of  a  beautiful  fluted  shaft,  ninety-five  feet  high, 
and    six    feet     nine     inches    in    diameter.       A    spiral    stair- 


Londondernj.  23 

way  leads  to  the  top,  wliere  there  is  a  square  platform,  with 
railing,  on  which  stands  a  statue  of  the  noble  Christian  soldier, 
llev.  George  Walker.  In  his  right  hand  he  holds  a  Bible,  the 
teachings  of  which  he  boldly  and  fearlessly  declared ;  and  by 
his  side  hangs'  a  sword,  which  he  was  ever_  ready  to  unsheath 
in  its  defense.  While  looking  over  the  the  city,  from  the  top 
of  the  monument,  the  history  of  the  heroic  men  of  1G88,  came 
up  before  me,  like  a  grand  panorama.  I  went  back  to  her 
early  days,  when  James,  with  his  French-Irish  army,  appeared 
before  her  walls — he  expected  all  he  had  to  do,  was  to  demand 
an  entrance  and  it  should  be  granted,  without  the  least  resist- 
ance. But  not  so.  The  gates  were  closed,  by  stout  hands  and 
true  hearts.  Lunday,  the  governor  of  the  place,  is  foimd  to  be 
a  traitor,  and  is  about  giving  the  city  into  the  hands  of  the 
enemy.  He  is  arrested,  and  condemned — but  instead  of  hang- 
ing him,  they  allow  him  to  pass  through  one  of  the  gates,  in 
the  garb  of  a  porter,  "  with  a  bundle  of  matches  on  his  back." 
Rev.  George  Walker  is  selected  governor,  and  citizens  and 
soldiers  are  seen  upon  tha  ramparts,  working  shoulder  to 
shoulder,  determined  to  defend  the  city,  their  lives,  liberties, 
and  religion. 

•  There  are,  within  the  walls,  about  thirty  thousand  men, 
women,  and  children.  Attempt  after  attempt  is  made,  by  the 
lysh  army,  to  storm  the  city,  but  without  success.  Weeks  pass 
by,  and  still  the  brave  men  hold  out !  Hunger  and  sufferings, 
which  no  pen  can  describe,  stare  them  in  the  face,  and  still 
they  are  hopeful !  Over  six  thousand  of  their  number  have 
passed  away  to  the  land  where  "  the  wicked  cease  from  troub- 
ling, and  the  weary  are  at  rest,"  and  still  they  resist !     Now 


24  Rambles  through  the  British  Isles. 

their  daily  ration  is  half-a-pouncl  of  horse  flesh,  and  half-a- 
pound  of  meal,  yet  they  are  as  determined  as  ever  !  Rats  sell 
for  two  shillings  and  sixpence,  and  mice  one  sliilling  apiece, 
yet  no  voice  of  complaint  is  heard ! 

Casting  my  eye  down  the  river,  I  see  two  vessels  carrying  full 
sail,  approaching  the  city.  It  may  be  they  are  coming  with 
provisions,  to  supply  the  wants  of  the  famishing  citizens.  If  so, 
how  shall  that  strong  boom,  thrown  across  the  river  by  the 
enemy,  be  broken  ?  With  breathless  anxiety,  we  watch  them  as 
they  approach  it.  The  first  has  already  passed  through  the 
fire  of  the  enemy  without  much  loss,  and  with  a  favorable 
wind  filling  every  sail,  she  strikes  it  with  gigantic  force,  and  it 
gives  way  at  once — but  at  the  same  time,  causing  her  to  rebound 
so  far  from  the  channel,  as  to  become  stranded.  Now  we  hear 
the  wild  hellish  yell  of  the  enemy,  over  the  seeming  defeat,  but 
it  came  a  little  too  soon.  A  broadside  is  fired  from  her  leeward 
guns,  the  shock  of  which  has  enabled  her  to  regain  the  channel. 
The  noble  ship  enters  with  relief,  and  shouts  of  joy  from  the 
famishing  ones  give  her  a  glorious  welcome.  All  glory  be  to 
England's  king !  A  cruel  night  of  suffering  has  jiassed,  morning 
has  come,  and  not  even  a  tent  or  hut  of  the  enemy  is  to  be  seen ! 

Thus,  after  a  siege  of  one  hundred  and  five  days,  by  an  army 
of  twenty  thousand  sanguinary  assailants,  James  the  II.,  and  his 
partizans,  were  compelled  to  retreat,  having  lost  before  the 
walls  of  Derry,  about  nine  thousand  men.  Well  might  the 
noljle  sons  of  Derry  sing, 

"The  gloomy  hour  of  trials  o'er, 
No  longer  cannons  rattle,  O ; 
The  tyrant's  flao;  is  seen  no  more, 
And  James  has  lost  the  hattle,  O. 


Londondernj.  25 

And  here  are  we,  rcnownL'd  aiul  free, 

]5y  maiden  walls  Burroundud,  O  ; 
■\VIiile  all  the  knaves  who'd  mako.us  slaves, 

Are  baffled  and  confounded,  O. 
^          The  Dartmouth  spreads  her  snow-white  sail, 

Uer  purple  pendant  flying,  O, 
While  we  the  gallant  Browning  hail, 

Who  saved  us  all  from  dying,  O. 
Like  Noah's  dove,  sent  from  ahove. 

While  fo-'s  would  starve  and  grieve  us,  O, 
Through  floods  and  flame,  an  angel  came, 

To  comfort  and  relieve  us,  O. 
Oh'  when  the  vessel  struck  the  boom, 

And  pitched,  and  reeled,  and  stranded,  O, 
With  shouts  the  foe  denounced  our  doom, 

And  open  gates  demanded,  O 
And  shrill  and  high  arose  the  cry, 

Of  anguish,  grief,  and  pity,  O ; 
Whi]e,black  with  care,*and  deep  despair. 

We  mourned  our  falling  city,  O. 
But,  Heaven  her  guide,  with  one  broadside 

The  laden  bark  rebounded,  O  ; 
A  favoring  gale  soon  filled  the  sail. 

While  hills  and  vales  resounded,  O. 
The  joy-bells  ring,  '  Long  live  our  king,' 

Adieu  to  grief  and  sadness,  O ; 
To  heaven  we  raise  the  voice  of  praise, 

In  heartfelt  joy  and  gladness,  O." 

I  know  of  no  city,  of  the  same  size,  which  presents  a  more 
pleasing  appearance,  when  approached  from  the  north.  Viewed 
indeed,  from  any  side,  its  elevated  position,  its  ranges  of  build- 
ings, ascending  amphitheatre-like,  one  above  the  other,  from 
the  water's  edge,  and  crowned  with  the  lofty  spire  of  the  time- 
honored,  and  battle-wreathed   cathedral,  is   a  sight,  at  once 


26  Ramlles  tlwougl.  the  British   Isles. 

novel,  striking,  grand,  glorious!  I  shall  not  soon  forget,  if 
ever,  the  feelings  which  I  had  while  looking  over  the  city  from 
the  top  of  Walker's  monument.  There,  at  my  feet,  lay  the 
unconquerable!  She  who  never  for  once  yielded  to  the 
dastardly  assaults  of  the  enemy.  And  there,  at  'ffer  feet,  the 
beautiful  river,  with  its  sheltered  waters  and  decorated  shores. 
While  all  around  her,  stand  the  verdant  hills,  a  noble  royal  guard ; 
seemingly  ready  to  do  her  bidding,  ready  to  shield  her  from 
the  cold  wind's  fury,  or  to  regale  her  with  their  choicest  per- 
fumes, carried  fresh  on  the  wings  of  the  wind,  from  their  sides 
covered  with  wild  and  cultivated  flowers.  Here,  indeed,  is  a 
picture  of  imposing  grandeur,  such  as  but  few  cities  in  the 
British  Empire  can  parallel. 


A  Stroll 


THE  City  of  Loxdonderey. 


"With  garlands  crown'd,  the  virgins  strew  the  way, 
And  in  glad  hymns  repeat  his  glorious  name, 
While  joyful  mothers  to  their  wond"ring  babes, 
Point  out  the  hero.  —Higgon. 


\ 


Mw-,o^-tsf^  FTER  the  siege  of  Derry,  Walker  nccompanied 
r.  p':.-°^A\^A^  tlie  British  army  to  the  River  Boyne,  where  he 
'I  -^''^-'A^^'^kl^  ^^^^  ^-"y  ^^^  hand  of  the  enemy,  just  a  few  hours 
^^>^°^5^  before  the  victory.  His  work  was  accom- 
Y^  IJlished,  and  God  called  him  home  !  At  the  base 
i^vjijSi  of  the  shaft  are  several  large  cannons,  which 
were  used  in  the  siege  of  1649,  when  Sir  Charles 
^'  Coote's  army,  which  had  espoused  the  side  of  the 
Rump  Purliameut,  was  besieged  for  five  months,  and  in  1G89, 


28  Bamhles  ilwoiujli  the  British  Isles. 

"wlieii  the  Protestants  of  the  north,  declared  themselves  in  favor 
of  William,  Prince  of  Orange.  "Roaring  Meg  "is  the  largest 
cannon  on  the  wall,  and  measures  four  feet  six  inches  in  girt  at 
the  thickest,  and  eleven  feet  in  length.  It  bears  the  following 
inscription,  on  its  back,  "  Fishermongers,  London,  1G42." 

berry's  cathedral 
has  one  of  the  most  imposing  sites  of  the  city.  Standing,  as  it 
docs,  upon  the  highest  pinnacle,  and  having  a  lofty  spire,  it  gives 
great  eftect  to  the  whole  place.  Here,  in  this  venerable  temple, 
seventeen  Episcopalian,*  and  eight  Presbyterian  clergymen, 
who  voluntarily  encountered  the  danger  of  the  siege,  assembled 
daily,  in  their  turn,  to  encourage  and  comfort  the  multitude 
under  their  care ;  and  to  implore  the  protection  of  Almighty 
God.  The  style  of  the  building  is  that  which  is  usually  known 
among  antiquarians  as  the  "Perpendicular,  or  Tudor  style." 
The  length  of  the  church,  independent  of  the  tower,  is  one 
hundred  and  fourteen  feet ;  the  breadth  sixty-six  feet,  and  the 
height  forty-six  feet.  The  spire  measures,  from  the  ground, 
one  hundred  and  seventy-nine  feet,  or  two  hundred  and  ninety- 
seven  feet,  above  the  river. 

Inside  the  cathedral,  by  the  east  window,  is  to  be  seen  the 
following  inscription :  ^ 

"This  city  was  besieged  by  the  Irish  army,  the  18th  of  April, 
1689,  and  continued  so  till  the  first  of  August  following,  being 
then  relieved  with  provisions  by  Major  General  Kirk.  On  the 
the  7th  of  May,  about  one  in  the  morning,  the  besiegers  forced 
out  ye  guards  of  ye  garrison,  and  intrenched  themselves  on  the 
Windmill  Hill,  commanded  by  Brigadier-General  Ramsey. 
At  four,  the  same  morning,  ye  besieged  attacked  ye  Irish  in 
tlicir  trenches,  and  after  a  sharp  engagement  the  enemy  gave 


A  Stroll  Hound  (he  C'iti/  of  Londonderry.  29 

grouml  and  fled.  Ramsey,  their  general,  was  killed,  with 
others  of  note;  the  Lord  Netterville,  Sir  Garret  Ayhner, 
Lieutenant-Colonel  Talbot,  son  to  ye  Lord  Mouutgarret,  and 
several  others,  taken  prisoners,  with  live  colors,  two  of  which 
fell  into  ye  hands  of  Colonel  John  Michelburn,  who  placed  them 
as  they  now  stand,  with  the  consent  and  approbation  ot  His 
Lordship,  William  King,  then  Lord  Bishop  of  this  city,  now  his 
Grace  Lord  Archbishop  of  Ireland,  the  said  Colonel  Michel- 
burn  being  at  that  time  governor :  to  perpetuate  ye  memory  of 
which  siege,  when  ye  colors  shall  fail,  his  Lordship,  John  Hart- 
strong,  now  Lord  Bishop  of  Derry,  at  ye  request  of  ye  said 
Colonel  ]Michelburn,  is  jjleased  to  give  leave  that  this  inscription 
be  placed  under  the  said  colors,  in  remembrance  of  the  eminent 
and  extraordinary  service  they  performed." 

The  flags,  mentioned  in  this  inscription,  were  captured  by  a 
detachment  of  the  garrison,  from  a  strong  body  of  the  besieg- 
ing army,  in  a  desperate  sortie  on  the  7th  of  May,  1689.  The 
poles  and  tassels  are  alone  genuine ;  the  flags  having,  by  the 
rougli  hand  of  old  time,  become  mere  slireds,  were  renewed 
by  the  careful  hands  of  the  ladies  of  Londonderry,  ti  the 
tower  there  is  a  tablet,  bearing  the  following  inscription,  which 
refers  to  the  building  of  the  city  and  cathedral  by  the  citizens 
of  London. : 

Ano.  Do.  1623.     Cai{.  Regis  9. 

If  stones  could  speake 

Then  London's  pi-ayse 

Should  sound  who 

Built  this  church  and 

Cittie  from  the  ground. 
On  the  right,  as  you  enter  the  tower,  may  be  seen  a  large 
bomb-shell,  that  once  contained  the  infamous  "  Declaration,"  to 


30  Ramhles  iJirou(/h  the  British  Isles. 

(lie  o-:irrison  aiul  citizens  to  surrcutler,  and  wliicli  drew  out  the 
evcr-mcmorablc  response,  "  No  surrender !  " 

"  When  bcr  larave  sons  undaunted  stood, 
Embattled  to  defend  her, 
Indii;iiant  stemmed  oppression's  flood. 
And  sung  out,  'No  surrender.' 

"  Old  Derry's  walls  were  firm  and  strong, 

Well  fenced  in  every  quarter, 
Each  frowning  bastion  grim,  along, 

With  culverin  and  mortar  ; 
But  Berry  had  a  surer  guard. 

Than  all  that  art  could  lend  her, 
Her  'prentice  hearts,  the  gates  who  barred, 

And  sung  out, '  No  surrender.' 

"  On  came  the  foe  in  bigot  ire. 

And  fierce  the  assault  was  given  ; 
By  shot  and  shell,  'mid  streams  of  fire, 

Her  fated  roof  was  riven. 
But  bafiled  was  the  tyrant's  wrath, 

And  vain  his  hopes  to  bend  her, 
For  still  'mid  famine,  fire,  and  death. 

She  sung  out,  'No  surrender.' 

"  Long  may  the  crimson  banner  wave, 

A  meteor  streaming  airj', 
Tortentous  of  the  ft-ee  and  brave, 

Who  guard  the  gates  of  Deny. 
And  Derry's  sons  alilie  defy. 

Pope,  traitor,  or  Pretender, 
And  peal  to  heaven  tlieir  'prentice  cry, 

Their  patriot  '  No  surrender.'  " 

lu  June,  1772,  the  first  newspaper  was  published  in  Derry, 
and  called  the  "  Londonderry  Journal  and  Donegal  and  Tyrone 


A  Stroll  Hound  the  City  of  Londonderry.  81 

Advertiser,"  hy  George  Douglas,  a  Scotcbman,  -who  edited  it 
until  1T96.  A  copy  of  it  is  still  to  be  seen  in  the  city  Library. 
The  following  are  a  fiew  extracts,  which  show,  somewhat,  the' 
spirit  and  customs  of  the  days  of  yore,  and  which,  we  trust, 
will  not  be  without  interest,  to  those  w^ho  may  read  these 
pages : 

"  1772,  July  25.  Last  Monday  afternoon,  a  butcher  in  this 
city  was  put  in  the  stocks,  for  the  space  of  one  hour,  and  fined 
the  sum  of  lis.  4d.,  being  convicted  of  selling  ram  instead  of 
ewe  mutton  contrary  to  law." 

Under  the  same  date,  is  the-  following : 

"Last  Friday  arrived  in  the  river,  from  Philadelphia,  the 
ship  Jupiter,  Capt.  Ewing.  All  well.  It  is  remarkable  that 
they  went  there  in  twenty-seven  days,  and  returned  in  the  like 
number,  the  quickest  passage  ever  made  from  this  port  to 
America." 

Following  it  is  one  referring  to  the  commencement  of  Sunday- 
school  labor : 

"1785,  October  8.  The  idea  of  Sunday-schools  is  at  length 
seriously  adopted  in  this  city.  The  Phoenix  club  entered  into 
a  very  handsome  subscription  for  that  purpose.  Benefactions 
will  be  received  by  the  Rev.  David  Young." 

Here  is  another,  and  because  of  the  name  of  Washington,  and 
its  spirit  for  Liberty's  cause  the  world  over,  I  think  it  worthy 
of  a  place : 

"1793,  August  21.  The  first  of  August  ftdling  on  Sunday, 
the  anniversary  of  the  relief  of  Derry  was  observed  here  on  the 
Monday  following,  the  13th  inst.,  with  the  accustomed  expres- 
sions of  festive  exultation.  In  the  afternoon  a  numerous  com- 
pany, consisting  of  all  the  principal  citizens  the  officers  of  the 
70th  Piegiment,  and  such  respectable  strangers,  as  happened 
together,  met  in  the  Town  Hall.    PcFhaps  never  before,  in  a  com- 


82  Rambles  through  i/w   British  Isles. 

paiiy  so  numerous  and  so  mixed,  did  llie  spirit  of  liberality 
more  i4)p!neiitly  predominate.  The  meeting  was  considered 
as  sacred  to  the  general  principles  of  civil  and  religious  freedom 

and  Jio  political  discussion    whatever    was  introduced,  nor 

was  a  single  toast  drunk  which  could  give  just  ollence  to  either 
Churchman,  Dissenter,  or  Roman  Catholic." 

Among  the  toasts^  Were  the  following : 

"The  lievolutiou  of  1088;  and  may  we  never  have  occasion 
for  another."  "The  Indepemlcnce  of  the  Irish  Legislature." 
"  May  we  always  have  courage  to  assert  our  rights  and  viituc  to 
perform  our  duties."  "  May  the  lIou.se  of  Commons  be,  in  iiict, 
us  well  as  in  name,  the  representatives  of  the  people."  "An 
c(iual  defeat  to  Faction  and  Corruption."  "  Civil  and  Religious 
Li))erty  to  all  the  world."  '•  Peace  mul  Liberty  to  Poland." 
"Peace,  Liberty,  and  good  Oovernment  to  France."  "The 
Rights  ol  Juries."  "The  Liberty  of  the  Press."  "The  Aboli- 
tion of  the  Slave  Trade."  "President  Washington."  "Magna 
Charta,  and  the  Memory  of  the  Barons  who  obtained  it." 
"The  Memory  of  Lord  Ru.ssell  and  the  Exclusioners."  "The 
Memory  of  Hampden,  Sidney,  and  Locke."  "The  Memory  of 
William  Molyneux."     "  The  Memory  of  Lord  Chatham." 

Good  lor  1088  1 

The  bridge  that  .spans  the  River  Foyle,  is  a  beautiful  struct- 
ure, and  is  known  among  engineers  as  a  "Rigid  Girder 
Bridge."  Its  length,  from  abutment  to  abutment,  is  one  hun- 
dretl  and  twenty  feet;  its  breadth  from  railing  to  railing  is 
thirty  feet,  and  it  is  said  to  have  cost  over  three  hundred  and 
twenty  thousantl  dollars. 

About  three-fourths  of  a  mile  to  the  west  of  the  city,  on  the 
side  of  a  hill,  is  liiid  out  a  lu  \v  cemetery.  It  is  a  beautiful 
spot,  with  walks,  tastehiUy  iilanned,  and  lots,  well-dotted  with 
slu-ubs,  flowers,  and  evergreens,  giving  to  the  whole  a  garden- 


A  Stroll  Hound  the  L'Uij  of  Londonderry.  33 

r.kc  appearance.  It  occupies  an  area  of  about  forty  acres.  In 
company  with  a  friend,  II.  G.,  from  U.  S.  A.,  I  went  there 
in  search  of  Derry's  heroic  dead,  but  found  them  not !  Feeling 
somewhat  sad  at  not  discovering  tlie  faintest  trace  of  anything 
in  the  old  cathedral-yard,  or  here,  to  tell  me  where  lay  the 
sacred  dust  of  those  who  perished  in  the  siege,  I  was  com- 
forted by  an  angel  messenger,  who,  swifter  than  the  Jiglit- 
niiig's  Hash,  came  to  my  aid,  and  said,  "  Why  seek  ye  the  living 
am<  ng  the  dead  ?    They  are  not  here,  but  have  risen." 

"Can  that  man  be  dead, 
WJiose  spiritual  influence  L»  upon  his  kind? 
lie  lives  in  glory:  and  his  epeakinK  duet 
Has  more  of  life  than  half  its  breathing  moulds  1" 

About  half-a-mile  north  of  the  city.  Ls  the  high-school,  situ- 
ated in  a  group  of  good  old  English  oaks.  It  is  said  to  be  one 
of  the  best  classical  and  mathematical  seminaries  in  either 
island.  A  little  farther  north  is  to  be  seen  the  Magee  College. 
The  situatWh  is  charming.  It  was  built  by  the  gift  of  Mrs. 
Magee,  of  Dublin,  and  has,  as  its  object,  the  education  of  young 
men  of  the  Presbyterian  Church.  Londonderry  has  a  good 
number  of  religious  edifices — six  Presbyterian,  two  Independ- 
ent, and  two  Weslej'an-Methodist.  The  Roman  Catholics  have 
three  or  four  churches  outside  the  city  walls,  and  one  nunnery. 


The  BiiiisUue. 

IV. 

DuNLtrcE   Castle. 

'  Oh,  lone  Dunluce I  thy  requiem's  sung! 
Time  o'er  thy  roofless  walls  has  flung 
The  waste  of  years  1 " 

r^^^^N  our  way  from  Port  Rush  to  the  Causeway, 

4°  we  made   a    short    stop   at    Dunhice — long 

'/V^  enough  to  see  its  many   rooms  and   apart- 

/   ments.      The  Castle  is   situated  about  three 

luiles  west  of  the  Causeway,  and  only  a  few  steps 

^^  ^    from  the  main  road.     At  the  gate,  which  opens 


C^   fi-om  tne  highway  into  an  open  space,  leading  to  the 


ruin,  wc  were  met  by  an  old  man  in  rags. 


Dunluce  Castle.  35 

With  a  politeness  which  would  have  done  honor  to  a  French- 
m;iu,'  and  which  seems  to  be  natural  to  the  true  son  of  the 
soil,  he  tipped  his  hat — or  rather  I  should  say  that  which  covered 
the  place  "  where  the  hair  ought  to  grow,"  for,  to  call  it  a  hat 
would  be  doing  great  injustice  to  the  tra'de — and  exclaimed : 
"I  saw  yes  coming  and  I  came  to  meet  yes,  that  I  might  be 
after  showing  you  the  Castle  and  the  Banshee's  room  which 
she  always  keeps  clean  for  her  own  convenience ! "  There  was 
such  a  good  nattu'ed  expression  upon  the  old  man's  face,  we 
could  not  help  but  say  to  him  :  "Go  ahead  and  well  follow,"  so 
off  before  us  he  started,  jumping  and  skipping  as  if  he  was  a 
lad  of  sixteen.  The  position  of  Dunluce  makes  it  one  of  the 
most  picturesque  rums  in  Ireland,  and  in  historic  and  roman- 
tic associations  it  is  not  surpassed  by  any  in  Europe. 

It  stands  upon  an  isolated  rock  that  rises  one  hundred  feet 
above  the  level  of  the  sea,  and  is  separated  "from  the  main 
land  by  a  chasm  over  twenty  feet  broad,  which  was  at  one 
time  spanned  by  a  draw  bridge,  but  is  now  permanently 
joined  by  a  stone  walk  for  foot  passengers.  How  impregna- 
ble it  must  have  been  at  one  time,  may  be  easily  judged  from 
its  position.  Long  ago  Dunluce  was  one  of  the  strong  holds 
of  the  Irish  Chieftans — one  of  their  feudal  halls,  in  which  was 
heard  the  voice  of  song  and  the  noise  of  jubilee — now  nothing 
remains  but  faint  outlines  of  its  past  greatness,  naked  walls 
which  are  fast  yielding  to  the  slow  but  sure  destroyer  time. 
Feudal  oppression,  robbery  and  violence  seem  to  be  the  ingre- 
dients that-  make  up  the  history  of  Dunluce.  Our  guide, 
who  told  me  he  was  over  seventy-five  years  of  age — and  never 
twenty  miles  fi-om  that  ueigliborhood — had  the  history  of  the 


36  Ramlles  through  the   British  Isles. 

castle  upon  his  tongue's  end,  whicli  was  about  as  follows.  Up 
to  the  tenth  century,  this  was  the  princely  residence  of 
the  McQuillan  family,  the  fame  of  whose  hospitable  board  had 
spread  to  distant  lands.  Once  upon  a  time,  when  the  Mar- 
chioness of  Antrim  was  on  a  visit  to  the  Castle,  and  the  ser- 
vants were  engaged  in  the  kitchen,  preparing  the  viands  for  the 
banquet,  a  portion  of  the  rock  on  which  the  apartment  stood 
having  been  undermined  by  the  waves,  gave  way,  the  foaming 
waters  engulfing  all  who  were  in  the  kitchen  except  a  piper, 
who  escaped  by  being  seated  in  a  niche  of  the  wall,  which  did 
not  share  in  the  fate.  "There  "  said  our  guide,  pointing  to  a 
cubby  hole  in  the  wall,"  is  where  the  piper  was  seated  who 
did'nt  get  kilt  when  the  rock  gave  way."  He  also  pointed  out 
a  small  room,  said  to  be  the  familiar  haunt  of  the  Banshee, 
named  "  Mave  Roe  "  (or  red-haired  Maud  or  Matilda)  she  was 
one  of  the  serv^tnt  maids  who  perished  on  the  night  of  the 
disaster,  and  ever  since  that  sad  occurance  her  ghost  has  haunt- 
ed the  castle,  and  her  voice  is  often  heard  amid  the  surging  of 
the  waves.  "The  Banshee"  Mrs.  Hall  says,  "is  the  wildest 
and  grandest  of  all  the  Irish  superstitions.  The  spirit  assumes 
the  form  of  a  woman,  sometimes  young,  but,  more  generally, 
very  old;  her  long,  ragged  locks  float  over  her  thin  shoulders  ; 
she  is  usually  attired  in  loose  white  drapery,  and  her  duty 
upon  earth  is  to  warn  the  family  upon  whom  she  attends  of 
some  approaching  misfortune.  This  warning  is  given  by  a 
peculiar  mournful  wail — at  night — a  sound  that  resembles  the 
nielnncholy  lough  of  the  winds,  but  having  the  tone  of  the 
human  voice,  and  distinctly  audible  at  a  great  distance.  She 
is  sometimes  seen  as  well  as  hea<d    but  her  form  is  rarely  vis- 


Dimluce  Castle.  ■  V 

ible,  except  to  the  person  iipoii  whorxi  she  more  especially 
waits.  This  person  must  be  of  an  old  stock — the  representa- 
tive ot  some  ancient  race  ;  and  him,  or  her,  she  never  abandons, 
even  in  poverty  or  degradation.  Night  was  the  season  gener- 
ally chosen  by  the  Banshee  for  her  visits,  an  ancient  bard  de- 
scribes her  thus : 

"The  Banshee  mournful  wails; 
In  the  midst  of  the  silent  lonely  night, 
Plaintive  she  sings  the  song  of  death." 
In  the  year  1580  there  came  over  from  Scotland  a  chief  by 
the  name  of  McDonald,  with  a  body  of  Highlanders  in  order 
to  assist  Tyrconnel  against  O'Neil,  and  as  he  marched  his  men 
through  the  lands  of  MacQuillan,  he  received  an  invitation  to 
put  up  at  Dunluce  Castle,  which  invitation  he  very  gladly  ac- 
cepted, and  was  most  hospitably  entertained.  During  his 
stay  at  the  Castle,  he  assisted  MacQuillan  in  subjecting  one 
of  the  neighboring  chieltans,  and  having  taken  much  booty 
from  the  enemy,  he  was  invited  by  MacQuillan  to  remain  dur- 
ing the  winter  and  share  in-  the  spoils.  MocDonald,  who  had 
by  this  time  become  greatly  charmed  with  the  beautiful  daugh- 
ter of  his  host,  did  not  reqiiire  much  pressing  to  remain.  Dur- 
ing the  winter  he  succeeded  in  gaining  the  hand  and  heart  of 
the  fair  Imogene.  Having  secured  MacQuillan's  daughter,  he 
next  fell  in  love  with  the  estate,  but  this  was  resisted  with 
terrible  indignation,  and  he  and  his  men  barely  escaped  from 
Dunluce  with  their  lives — a  plot  being  entered  into  by  Mac- 
Quillan to  kill  him  and  all  his  men  on  a  certain  night.  Mac- 
Donald  being  made  aware  of  the  plot  by  his  faithful  wife,  had 
just  time  to  warn  his  men  to  run  for  their  lives.     This  was  the 

commencement  of  a  cruel  war  between  the  father  and  hh  son- 
4 


38  Rambles  through  the  British  Isles. 

in-law,  wliicli  continued  during  the  wLole  reign  of  Queen 
Elizabeth.  The  strong  holds  of  battle  were  the  high  moun- 
tains of  Sleeveanerro,  and  all  through  the  Tale  of  Glenshesk. 
Every  inch  of  the  ground  was  disputed  by  MacQuillan  and 
his  followers,  until  it  is  said  that  tlie  stream  flowing  through 
the  valley  ran  red  with  the  blood  of  the  slain.  Up  to  the  reign 
of  James  II  the  hostility  between  MacQuillan  and  MacDon- 
ald  still  existed.  When  an  a^Dpeal  was  made  to  the  king,  who 
instead  of  settling  matters  justly,  favored  his  countryman  Mac- 
Donald,  giving  him  no  less  than  four  baronies,  among  which 
was  the  Dunluce  estate. 

"  Here  Erin  once,  in  feudal  hour, 
Made  foeman  yield  to  Erin's  power ; 
Here  twanged  the  horn  or  echoing  i-hell 
Thatrousedthe  clansfrom  brake  and  dell; 
With  lion  heart  and  eagle  eye 
Enthroned  in  Northern  majesty. 
Hero  sat  M'Quillan,  hrave  and  hold, 
The  faithful  wolf-dog  of  the  fold  : 
M'Quillan's  gone— the  eagle's  fled, 
M'Quilan's  men  sleep  with  the  dead; 
M'Quillan's  gone— the  lion's  might 
Fell  valiantly  on  Ama's  hight." 


V. 

The  Giant's  Causeway. 

Time  with  assailiug  arm 
Hath  smote  the  summit,  but  the  soUd  base, 
Derides  the  lapse  of  ages. — Anon, 
•• 
O  oue    visiting    the    Green    Isle,  sHould    miss 

^^  y;  seeing  this  wonderful  formation  of  nature. 
"^J^  I  think  I  may  safely  say,  that  one  day  spent 
o^j^ij^  at  the  Causeway  would  amply  repay  the  toil, 
r^-^  and  expense  of  a  long  jom-ncy.  I  had  often  read 
S"-^ir\(^^  descriptions  of  it  from  many  pens,  and  looked  at 
paintings,  and  engravings  of  it  by  many  artists ;  but 
neither  the  pen  nor  the  brush,  is  able  to  do  justice  to 
the  subject.  It  is  truly  marvelous  !  And  to  realize  this,  one 
must  see  it  for  himself. 

Causeway,  means  a  paved  road,  and  is  not  without  some  like- 
ness. Most  travelers  who  come  here  are  disappomted  at  first  m 
not  seeing  what  they  expected,  but  after  a  closer  examination  of 
this  world  wonder,  disappointment  gives  place  to  the  most 
enthusiastic  admiration.  On  approaching  it,  nothing  appears 
before  you  but  a  bold  headland,  stretching  out  into  the  sea ; 
nearer  and  nearer  as  you  advance,  you  become  more  anxious 


42  Ramhles  through  the  British  Isles. 

to  catcli  a  sight  of  the  object  for  which  you  undertook  the 
journey.  But  not  until  you  reach  the  top  of  the  high  kxnd,  and 
look  over,  does  the  Giant's  wonderful  work  appear. 

In  comj)any  with  my  traveling  companion  Mr.  J.  B.  of  New- 
York,  we  started  out  irom  our  hotels  in  good  spirits,  accom- 
panied by  an  able  corps  of  guides.  The  leading  spirit  of  the 
band  met  us  at  a  little  village  called  Bushmill,  about  two  miles 
from  the  Causeway,  whom  we  agreed  to  take  as  leader  during 
our  stay,  the  others  acted  under  him  as  boatmen.  John  King, 
for  this  is  his  name,  is  said  to  be  one  of  the  best  guides  of  the 
place,  he  is  a  Scotch  Irishman,  and  quite  intelligent.  When  he 
first  met  u%on  the  way,  he  j)ut4nto  my  hand  a  book  containing 
certificates  from  many  travelers  of  note,  statmg  that  he  had 
accompanied  them,  and  that  they  were  pleased  with  his 
services.  Among  the  names  which  I  saw  in  his  book,  and  to 
which  he  was  very  careful  to  direct  my  special  attention,  were 
a  number  of  distinguished  Americans.  Only  a  few  yards  irom 
the  hotel  there  is  a  breach  or  land  slide  in  the  headland,  of 
some  fifteen  or  twenty  rods,  through  which  there  is  a  zigzag 
pathway  leading  to  the  shore.  After  some  difiiculty,  and  not  a 
rttle  annoyance  from  a  multitude  of  half  clad  and  half  starved 
peasants,  who  followed  us  all  the  way  down  the  descent,  and 
would  not  be  shaken  oft",  we  reached  the  shore,  being  almost 
worried  into  impatience  with  their  persistence — my  .friend 
B.,  showing  no  inclination  to  buy,  escaped,  while  I  was 
beset  on  every  side,  with  about  as  wild  a  set  of  savages  as  I 
ever  looked  upon.  And  Oh,  what  a  clamor  they  kept  up,  each 
urging  me  to  buy  of  him;  "buy  mine,"  buy  mine  !"  "all  these 
for  a  shilling,"  "sixpence  ,"  "ah,  now  you  bought  of  him,  you 


•w 


The  Gianfs  Causewaij.  43 

might  buy  this  box  of  me."  By  this  time  our  guide  had  reached 
the  bout,  and  was  waiting  for  us,  to  by  quitting  terra  firma  we 
got  rid  of  oui  tormentors  for  a  short  season.  In  order  to  gee 
the  Causeway  to  the  best  advantage,  you  must  fii-st  go  round  it 
on  the  sea  side,  then  having  satisfied  yourself  in  gazing  at  the 
grand  old  palisades — that  rise  from  three  to  four  himdrcd  feet 
above  you— you  will  go  away  with  such  feelings  of  the  sublime, 
as  you  cannot  have  in  only  looking  at  them  on  the  laud.  "We 
found  our  guide  to  be  quite  communicative,  and  familiar  with 
every  nook,  pillar  and  corner.  The  first  thing  to  which  our 
att>.ntion  was  directed  was  Port  Coon  Cave;  we  entered  it,  to 
the  distance  of  about  one  himdred  yards  or  more.  The  walls 
and  roof  are  composed  of  masses  of  rounded  basalt,  covered  over 
with  a  greenish  substance,  and  in  shape,  bearing  somewhat  the 
appearance  of  some  dingy  lighted  Gothic  Cathedral. 

"The  pillared  vestibule 
Ex])anding,  yet  precise,  the  roof  embowed, 
Might  seem  designed  to  humble  man,  when  proud 
Of  his  best  workmanship  by  plan  and  tool. 
Down-bearing  with  his  whole  Atlantic  weight 
Of  tide  and  tempest  on  the  structure's  base, 
And  flashing  to  that  structure's  topmost  height, 
Ocean  has  proved  its  strength— and  of  its  grace 
In  calms  is  conscious,  finding  for  his  freight 
Of  softest  music  some  responsive  place." 

Our  guide  shouted  at  the  top  of  his  voice,  and  the  sound 
reverberating  with  the  roaring  of  the  waters,  produced  a  grand 
effect.  To  the  west  of  Port  Coon  is  Duukerry  Cave,  not  so 
imposing  or  grand  as  the  former,  but  the  noisiest  of  all,  and 
during  a  storm,  it  is  said  that  its  voice  can  be  heard  for  more 
than  a  mile  inland. 


44  Ramhles  through  the   British  Isles. 

I  was  told  that  when  Sir  Robert  Peel,  with  a  number  of  his 
friends,  visited  the  Causeway,  he  had  a  cannon  fired  in  this 
Cave;  the  effect  of  which  is  said  to  have  been  awful;  and  so 
great  was  the  concussion,  that  the  poor  fellow  who  served  on 
the  occasion  was  dei^rived  of  hearing.  Most  of  the  columns 
of  the  Causewav  have  received  the  names  of  objects  or  things 
to  wnich  they  bear,  some  faint  resemblance. 

Here  is  one  called  the  "  Priest  and  his  Flock,"  and  there  is 
the  Giant's  Loom,  The  Giant's  Organ,  the  Giant's  Chair,  the 
Giant's  Theatre,  the  Giant's  Honey  Comb,  the  Giant's  BagiDijDes, 
and  the  Giant's  Granny.  Indeed  everything  in  this  wonderful 
place,  is  assigned  to  the  Giants,  either  as  articles  of  their  manu- 
facture, or  objects  formed  lor  their  especial  accommodation. 
These  whuns,  for  whhns  they  are — many  of  the  pillars  having 
but  very  little,  if  any  resemblance  to  the  names  they  bear — 
serve  to  distinguish  the  many  points  of  interest,  which  could 
not  very  well  be  done  without  something  of  this  sort. 

After  examining  these  wonderful  sights  from  the  sea,  we 
came  to  land,  not  however,  without  having  our  pockets  light- 
ened somewhat  of  a  few  shillings,  which  by  the  persuasive 
blarney  of  the  boatmen  we  were  compelled  to  yield  ujd  for  a 
few  of  their  specimens  and  curiosities. 

The  Causeway  proper  is  not  the  high  cliffs  or  palUsades 
which  are  seen  to  so  good  advantage  from  the  ocean.  This  is 
but  the  backgj-ound ;  the  most  wonderful  formation  is  almost  as 
level  as  the  beach,  and  partly  covered  by  the  water  at  high 
tide.  There  are  three  tiers  or  clusters  of  pillars  running  out 
into  the  sea,  called  the  Little,  the  Middle,  and  the  great  Cause- 
ways.    Their  surface  is  by  no  means   even ;  some  being  much 


Ilie  GianVs  Causeway.  45 

higher  than  the  others,  and  hence  giving  room  for  the  imagin- 
ation to  form  among  them  all  sorts  of  rooms,  seats,  and  fan- 
tastic things.  In  the  middle  group,  our  guide  pointed  us  t6 
what  he  called  "  The  Ladies'  wishing  chair,"  which  is  formed 
by  a  number  of  pillars,  gathered  round  a  single  one,  and  so 
arranged  as  to  make  a  comfortable  seat.  The  story  is,  that  the 
young  woman  who  while  sitting  in  that  chair  wishes  for  any- 
thing, she  can  have  it,  no  matter  what  it  may  be  !  If  this  were 
true,  how  many  of  the  single  daughters  of  Erin  would  be 
married,  and  how  many  of  the  married  would  be  single  I 
In  the  great  Causeway,  we  were  shown  a  place,  called,  "Lord 
Antrim's  Parlour,"  this  is  a  space  surrounded  by  pillars  in 
which  seats  have  been  formed,  by  breaking  away  some  of 
the  pillars,  so  as  to  form  a  level  surface.  Shame !  shame  on 
the  visitors  who  have  taken  no  little  pains,  to  cut  with  sacri- 
legious hands,  their  names  upon  some  of  these  columns. 

While  walking  over  the  heads  of  about  forty  thousand  of  them 
the  guide  called  our  special  attention  to  one— the  only  one 
among  all  that  great  army  of  pillars,  which  had  been  found 
with  three  sides,  the  more  common  forms  being  the  pentagon 
and  hexagon.  The  pillars,  it  must  be  remembered  do  not  stand 
apart,  but  are  squeezed  compactly  together,  so  close  that  water 
will  not  pass  between  them.  And  though  the  columns  are  far 
from  being  sided  alike,  yetthe  contiguous  sides  are  always  equal. 
This  is  indeed  wonderful,  and  clearly  shows  the  hand  of  a  mas- 
ter workman  !  Each  pillar  is  made  of  several  joints,  or  blocks, 
from  eight  to  ten  inches  in  length,  with  alternate  concave  and 
convex  surfaces;  the  upper  section,  generally  speaking,  is  con- 
cave and    the   lower  convex  —  perfectly   fitted;  yet   actually 


46  Ramiles  through  the  British   Isles. 

disjunct.  As  we  stepped  from  pillar  to  pillar  toward  the  sea, 
new  interest  seemed  to  gather  around  them,  until  sinking  in 
the  ocean  they  were  lost  to  sight.  How  far  they  extend  under 
the  water,  who  can  tell  ?  And  how  far  back  into  the  land,  that 
throws  a  veil  over  them,  who  can  tell  ?  Well  might  the  true 
lover  of  geology  wish  in  his  despair—"  Oh,  that  I  were  able  to 
transform  myscif  into  a  mole,  that  I  might  burrow  my  way  into 
a  solution  of  this  problem,  or  into  a  fish,  that  I  might  trace 
them  beneath  the  waves  of  old  ocean."  So  much  then,  in  ref- 
erence to  the  outward  form  and  position  of  the  Giant's  Cause- 
way. But  how  are  we  going  to  account  for  the  formation  of 
this  vast  group  of  pillars?  Is  it  possible  that  they  received 
their  forms  by  the  laws  of  crystalization  ?  If  so,  how  came 
they  to  crystalize  in  ):)locks,  or  joints,  with  ball  and  socket? 
Who  in  looking  at  the  Giant's  Causeway,  and  then  at  a  similar 
formation,  on  the  opposite  coast  of  Scotland,  and  on  the  isle  of 
StafFa,  can  resist  the  conviction,  that  the  three  wonders  are  part 
of  one  stupendous  whole  ;  and  it  is  by  no  means  unlikely,  that 
colonnades,  connecting  the  points,  are  continued  beneath  the 
green  waves  of  the  tossing  sea. 

"  From  Albin  oft,  when  darkness  veiled  the  pole, 

Swift  o'er  the  surf  the  tartaned  plunderers  stole, 

And  Erin's  vales  with  purple  torrents  ran, 

Beneath  the  claymores  of  the  murderous  clan ; 

Till  Cumhal's  eon,  to  Dainada's  coast, 

Led  the  tall  squadrons  of  his  Finnian  host, 

Where  his  hold  thought  the  wonderous  plan  designed, 

The  proud  conception  of  a  giant  mind. 

To  bridge  the  ocean  for  the  march  of  war, 

And  wheel  around  Alhin's  shores  his  conquering  car. 

For  many  a  league  along  the  quarried  shore, 

Each  storm  swept  cape  the  race  gigantic  tore; 


The  GianVs  Causeway.  47 

Ami  though  untaught  by  Grecian  lore  to  trace 

Tlie  Doric  grandeur  or  Corinthian  grace ; 

Not  void  of  slvill  in  geometric  rules, 

"With  art  d  sdaining  all  the  pride  of  schools, 

Each  mighty  artist,  from  the  yielding  rock. 

Hewed  many  a  polished,  dark,  prismatic  block: 

One  end  was  modeled  like  the  rounded  bore, 

One  formed  a  socket  for  its  convex  stone  ; 

Then  side  to  side,  and  point  to  point  they  bound, 

Co'umns  on  columns  locked,  and  mound  on  mound; 

Close fc  the  golden  cells  which  bees  compose, 

So  close  they  ranged  th.  m  in  compacted  rows. 

Till  rolling  time  beheld  the  fabric  rise, 

Span  the  horizon  and  invade  the  skies. 

And,  curved  concentric  to  the  starry  sphere. 

Mount  o'er  the  thunder's  path,  and  storm's  career. 
%         To  Staffa's  rock  the  enormous  arch  he  threw. 

And  Albin  trembled  as  the  wonder  grew." 
"We  are  not  at  all  surprised,  that  the  early  inhabitants  of  the 
north  of  Lx'laud  should  attribute  it  to  the  work  of  giants, 
and  that  the  Scotch  also,  should  have  a  similar  belief,  in  refer- 
ence to  Fingal's  cave.  The  Causeway,  they  say,  is  but  a  part 
of  the  bridge  which  was  built  by  Fin  MacCool,  the  Ancient 
Irish  Hercules.  Fin,  feeling  out  of  sorts  with  the  Scotch,  for 
the  many  wrongs  they  had  done  his  native  land,  sent  over  a 
challenge  to  the  kilted  Giant,  Benandomer,  to  come  over  and. 
receive  a  "  beating."  And  having  extended  the  invitation,  he 
thought  it  only  polite  on  his  part,  to  prevent  the  stranger  wet- 
ting his  feet ;  therefore  he  built  a  bridge  for  the  Scotch  GoUath 
to  cross  dry  shod,  in  order  "  to  get  broken  bones."  During 
more  recent  times,  the  giants  having  disappeared  and  none  of 
the  Lilliputians  left  behind,  being  able  to  take  care  of  the 
bridge,   it  sank  down,  and  was  covered  over  by  the  waters. 


48  Rambles  through  the  British  Isles. 

Well  after  all,  this  is   about    as    near    a  satisfactory  solution, 
as  most  of  our  modern  geologists  have  brought  it. 

One  thing  more  worth  adding  is,  that  upon  the  basaltic  or 
trap  rock  of  which  the  Causeway  is  composed,  time  and  tide 
have  made  no  impression.  And  though  it  has  been  exposed  to 
one  of  the  roughest  seas,  and  most  penetrating  winds,  from  the 
creation,  it  may  be,  to  the  -present  time,  yet  the  angles  of  the 
columns  still  retain  their  sharpness,  having  met  unshaken  and 
unharmed,  the  storms  of  ages. 

"  Dash,  foam,  and  toss,  wild,  troubled  sea!  thou  can'st  not  fret  away 
The  bulwark  firm  by  sullen  wave,  nor  yet  by  drifting  spray; 
Sweep  over  it  and  under  it ;  alike  unchanged  it  seems. 
Amid  the  tempest's  rushing  wrath,  or  'neath  the  pale  moonbeams. 
Far  down,  where  wild  sea-monsters  o'eniangles,  dulse  and  sheila^ 
Its  echos  wake  a  music  wild  as  long  forgotten  song, 
That  Ossian's  ocean  muse  inspired  its  dark  wild  rocks  among. 
"We  gaze  on  it  in  silence— our  veiy  breath  is  hushed; 
For  silence  here  is  eloquence;  the  purest  ever  gushed 
From  patriot  in  his  praise  of  home,  or  scorn  of  traitor's  deed, 
Is  Hot  moie  fraught  with  nobleness  than  is  the  wordless  meed: 
We  would  not,  dare  not,  break  the  spel',  by  mingling  human  sounds, 
Where  the  stupendous  work  attests  a  deity  profound. 
But,  leaving  myth  and  legend  of  the  ages  dark  and  dim, 
We  bow  iu  adoration  at  the  glorious  work  of  Him." 


s-CttjfC)'^ 


iii  '^^ 


il  I   I 





\M, 


bi'iiii'™'! 


.if 


m'^v 


VI. 


A  Day  IX  Belfast. 


Stranger  I  if  e"er  thy  steps  should  turn 
To  the  deep  dells  of  fair  leme, 

Their  dark-haired  sons  mark  well ; 
For  -warmer  heart  or  stouter  hand 
Ke'er  maiden  woo'd,  ne'er  w  elded  brand, 
Than  theirs  who  tread  this  northern  land.  —MuUer. 

ELF  AST  sustains  the  sf\me  relation  to  Ireland, 
that  Liverpool  does  to  England,  or  Glasgow  to 
Scotland.  It  has  regular  steam  intercourse 
with  almost  all  the  leading  seaports  of  the 
British  Isles,  and,  in  point  of  life,  trade,  and 
commerce,  is  much  in  advance  of  Dublin.  Its 
people  are  full  of  energy,  and  the  stranger  can  not 
go  through  its  streets,  without  discovering  at  once, 
that  he  is  in  a  live  place.  The  hoitses  are  composed  of  brick  or 
stone,  and  the  streets  are  straight,  well  paved  or  macadamizctl. 
The  population  is  now  over  one  hundred  and  fifty  thousand, 
and  is  raj^idly  increasing,  having  quadrupled  within  the  last 
forty  years.    Much  of  the  city  is  low  and  j3at,  being  built  on 


52  RamUes  through  the  British   Isles. 

land,  reclaimed  from  the  river  Lagan,  which  detracts  greatly 
from  its  appearance,  especially,  as  seen  from  the  bay.  The 
sm-rounding  scenefy  is  charming.  Tlie  mountains,  which  lie 
west  and  north,  screening  from  the  cold  winds,  are  majestic 
and  beautiful.  The  most  distant  is  not  more  than  two  miles 
oflf,  and  rises  to  an  elevation  of  sixteen  hundred  feet  above  the 
level  of  the  sea. 

The  river  Lagan,  which  divides  County  Down  from  Antrim, 
is  seven  hundred  and  fifty  feet  wide,  and  was  formerly  crossed 
by  a  bridge  of  twenty-one  arches,  erected  in  1683.  In  1840, 
this  was  replaced  by  a  magnificent  structure,  built  of  granite, 
having  five  semi-circular  arches,  each  of  fifty  feet  span. 

Belfast  is  the  great  linen  emporium  of  the  world.  The 
bleaching  greens,  all  around  the  city,  are  very  extensive,  and 
at  a  distance  appear  like  long  ridges  of  virgin  snow,  lying  in 
the  midst  of  ripening  harvests  and  pasturage  of  the  richest 
verdure.  In  one  manufactory,  where  they  spin  the  flax  into 
yarn,  they  employ  about  two  thousand  hands;  and  it  is  thought 
that  there  are  fifteen  or  twenty  thousand  persons  employed  at 
this  work  within  the  limits  of  the  city.  Home-growth  Is  not 
sufficient  to  meet  the  demand,  and  over  fifty  thousand  tons  of 
flax  are  said  to  be  imported  yearly.  The  value  of  the  linen 
cloth  and  yarn  annually  exported  exceeds  seventeen  million 
dollars.  Strange  that  from  the  land  where  so  many  go  shirt- 
less, should  come  snow-white  linen,  to  satisfy  the  want  of  the 
world ! 

Judging  from  the  number  of  churches  which  I  saw,  the 
Belfasters  must  be  a  rehgious  people.  Presbyjerianism  has  a 
strong  foot-hold  here.  Doctors  Cook,  Morgan,  Edgar,  and 
M'Cosh  have  not  labored  in  vain. 


A  Day  in  Belfast.  53 

More  than  half  a  century  ago,  Belflist  was  classically  named 
"  The  Northern  Athens,"  and  when  we  look  at  the  long  list  of 
her  noble  sons,  which  she  has  sent  forth,  we  think  the  title  was 
not  conferred  amiss. 

Queen's  College  is  one  of  the  ornaments  of  the  city ;  it  was 
built  in  1810,  and  gave  a  new  impulse  to  classical  education  in 
the  north  of  Ireland.  Since  that,  others  have  sprung  into 
existence,  which  have  in  them  the  promise  of  still  greater  good. 
Queen's  College  is  remarkable  for  its  tasteful  architecture.  It 
is  built  of  bright  red  and  blue"  brick,  with  stone  trinmiing,  and 
has  one  of  the  best  sites  in  the  city.  Back  of  the  College  is  the 
Theological  School  of  the  Presbyterian  Chtirch.  It  was  during 
vacation  when  I  visited  the  Seminary ;  all  the  professors  and 
students  were  absent,  and  the  building  was  in  charge  of  an 
elderly  lady,  who,  with  the  greatest  politeness,  took  me  through 
the  same.  The  material  of  which  the  building  is  composed,  is 
polished  freestone,  and  in  style  of  architecture,  it  is  chastely 
classic.  The  internal  arrangements  are  somewhat  behind  the 
times,  but  commodious  and  comfortable. 

Just  over  the  way  from  Queen's  College,  is  the  new  Methodist 
College,  occupying  one  of  the  finest  sites  in  the  place.  It  is 
indeed  a  glorious  monument,  an  honor  to  Irish  and  American 
Methodists !  Situated  on  an  elevated  position,  it  seems  to 
have  one  eye  on  the  Botanic  Garden,  while  the  other  rests  upon 
Queen's  College.  This  is  just  as  it  should  be.  Its  mission  is 
the  cultivation  of  the  heart,  as  well  as  the  head;  for,  after  all, 

"  It  is  the  heart,  and  not  the  brain, 
That  to  the  highest  doth  attain." 

Her  work  is  to  cultivate  the  mind,  and  sanctify  the  nature,  for 
5 


54  Rambles  ihroiujh  the  British  Isles. 

God's  glory  and  man's  good.  May  all  they  who  have  con- 
tributed toward  the  erection  and  endowment  of  the  same,  share 
largely  in  the  favor  of  God  here,  and  in  heaven's  glories  here- 
after !  And  in  coming  years,  may  many  rise  who  shall  call 
them  blessed!  May  all  her  sons  go  forth,  spreading  the 
fragrance  of  a  sanctified  cultm'e,  making  many  of  the  dark  and 
waste  places  of  our  world  blossom  as  the  rose ! 

The  day  on  which  I  visited  the  College,  I  jvas  fortunate  in 
meeting  one  of  the  Faculty,  the  Rev.  Robert  Crook.  A  more 
agreeable  i^Ri'^on  than  the  doctor,  is  not  often  to  be  met  with. 
Learning  that  I  was  from  America,  he  spared  no  pains  in  show- 
ing me  through  the  College,  and  explaining  the  use  of  every 
room,  nook,  and  corner.  No  expense  has  been  spared,  to  make 
the  arrangements  of  the  buiiding  as  nearly  perfect  as  possible, 
and  not  without  success;  for  I  know  of  no  seminary  of  learning 
so  thoroughly  furnished,  with  every  thing,  pertaining  to  the 
students'  elRciency  and  comfort. 

The  length  of  the  building  is  two  hundred  and  sixty  feet 
jfrom  cast  to  west,  by  one  hundred  and  seventy  from  north  to 
south,  and  the  materiails  used  in  its  construction,  are  red  brick, 
with  cut-stone  dressing.  The  style  of  architecture,  is  a  combi- 
nation of  thj  Tudor  and  Gothic,  which  is  much  in  keeping 
with  its  surroundings.  It  is  said  to  have  cost  about  one  hun- 
dred and  fifty  thousand  dollars.  American  Methodists  have 
contributed  sixty  thousand  dollars  toward  the  endowment- 
fund.  A  noble  ofFerins;  l)ut  not  too  much,  when  we  remember 
wli^it  Irish  Methodism  has  done  for  us!  The  friends  of  Meth- 
odism are  more  than  pleased  with  the  .aiDpointments  to  tlie 
college  chairs. 


A  Bay  in  Belfast.  55 

They  are  as  follows  : 

President,  Rev.  William  Arthur,  A.  M.,  best  known  in 
America  as  the  author  of  that  live  book,  "  The  Tongue  of  Fire ,"' 
Theological  Tutor,  Rev.  Robinson  Scott,  D.D.,  who  is  by  no 
means  a  stranger,  to  many  American  families ;  Head  Master, 
Rev.  Robert  Crook,  LL.D.,  T.  C.  D.,  whose  remarkable  success 
in  the  past,  as  an  instructor,  gives  much  promise  for  the  future. 
Assistant  blasters  :  First  Classical  Master,  Benjamin  Ralph, 
Esq. ;  English  and  Commercial  Master,  John  A.  Hartly,  Esq., 
of  University  College,  London;  French  Master,  Mons.  Festu; 
Professor  of  Music,  Herr  Schwarz.  There  are  several  chairs  as 
yet  unfilled. 

As  a  whole,  the  College  has  few  equals.  Their  system  of 
education  is  admirable.  It  comprises  two  departments,  the 
college  and  the  school — "  The  college,  for  those  who  are  pre- 
paring for  the  Clu-istian  ministry,  and  imder-graduates  of 
Queen's  College  other  than  theological  students."  The  school 
is  conducted  in  three  divisions :  The  Preparatory  for  boys,  from 
seven  to  nine  yfears  of  age  ;  the  Intermediate,  where  a  higher 
course  is  pursued,  including  the  languages;  and  the  upper, 
which  is  subdivided  into  the  collegiate  and  commercial,  accord- 
ing to  the  objects  aimed  at  in  their  education.  Another 
advantage,  is  the  relation  which  exists  between  this  and  Queen's 
College,  allowing  the  students  of  one,  to  attend  regularly  the 
classes  of  the  other,  thus  enaljling  the  child  in  the  Preparatory 
dc'partmentj  to  pursue  his  studies  in  a  regular  course,  till  he 
shall  have  taken  his  degree  in  the  University.  Another  object, 
to  which  all  others  shall  be  held  subordinate,  will  be,  to  lead 
the  pupils  into  a  knowledge  of  the  higher  sciences,  the  truths 
of  religion,  their  power  to  sanctify  the  heart  and  life. 


56  Ramlles  through  the  British  Isles. 

But  time  and  space  -would  fail  me,  to  tell  of  the  many  places 
of  interest,  ■which  attract  the  eye  of  the  traveler  in  this  place. 
It's  academies,  seminaries,  and  schools;  its  museum,  library, 
and  reading-room;  its  charitable  institution  and  commercial 
buildings ;  its  prisons  and  law  courts,  are  each  worth  of  notice. 
My  recollection  of  Belfast  will  always  be  delightful;  and  if  I 
were  going  to  live  in  Ireland,  and  had  to  choose  between  the 
two  places,  Belfast  and  Dublin,  I  would  say  Belfast. 

During  Queen  Victoria's  first  visit  to  Ireland,  in  1849,  she 
spent  part  of  her  time  in  Belfast.  The  following  lines  were 
written  for  the  occasion,  and  show  the  place  her  Majesty  held, 
and  still  holds,  in  the  hearts  of  the  loyal  people  of  the  North  : 

"  O  come,  lady  Queen,  to  our  isle  of  the  ocean— 
The  greenest,  the  fairest,  the  gayest  on  earth ; 
We  -welcome  thy  coming  with  heartfelt  emotion ; 
Thy  presence  -n-ill  gladden  our  home  and  our  hearth  ; 

We  love,  we  revere  thee. 

In  homage  draw  near  thee. 
With  a  cead  mille  faiUie  wc  give  thee  good  cheer  ; 

Victoria,  we  hail  thee  I 

Our  harps  shall  regale  thee— 
The  hai-p  is  the  music  for  royalty's  ear. 

"  We  sighed  for  thee  oft  when  the  hig  clouds  were  looming— 

When  the  famine  was  heavy  and  sore  in  the  land, 
We  shared  of  thy  bounty  and  longed  for  thy  coming; 
Where  the  Irishman's  heart  gives  the  press  to  his  hand, 

Though  many  behe  him, 

He's  true  when  you  try  him ; 
His  love,  like  the  mountains,  is  lasting  for  aye — 

More  prone  to  believe  thee, 

Than  e'er  to  deceive  thee, 
He  oft  may  be  doubted,  but  ne'er  can  betray. 


A  Day  in  Belfast.  57 

"  We  hail  thee  among  ws,  fair  Queen  of  the  Islands! 

Bright  gem  of  the  ocean,  Victoria  agragli ! 
Our  sons  will  go  with  thee  o'er  valleys  and  highlands, 
Our  daughters  enchant  thee  with  "  Erin-go-hraghl" 

Then  come  see  our  fair  ones, 

For  they  are  the  rare  ones  ; 
Our  mothers,  and  sisters,  and  wives  by  our  sides, 

Will  go  forth  to  meettl.ee, 

With  blessings  will  greet  thee. 
And  boast  of  Victoria  with  womanly  pride. 

"  Then  hurrah  for  the  Queen  I  and  for  Albert  the  royal  I 

For  all  in  their  train,  of  whatever  degree  I 
Our  hands  they  are  strong,  and  our  hearts  they  are  loyal. 
And  warm  is  our  welcome,  dear  Cushla  Machree  !     -, 

Victoria,  come  near  us. 

Thy  presence  will  cheer  us  ; 
Though  Albion  be  wealthj',  and  Scotia  be  wise, 

Our  hearts  you  will  find  them 

In  warmth  not  behind  them, 
And  sooner  made  glad  by  the  light  of  thine  eyes. 

"  Our  shamrock  is  softer  by  far  than  the  heather, 
When  sparkles  the  dew  on  its  emerald  breast; 
It  will  yield  to  thy  tread  like  the  down  of  the  feather, 
No  queen  of  the  Isles  has  its  triple  leaf  prest. 

O  come  and  entwine  it, 

With  the  thistle  combine  it. 
And  mingle  its  green  with  the  blush  of  the  rose ; 

From  thy  bosom-forever, 

No  rude  hand  shall  sever 
This  bright  pledge  of  union  and  Erin's  repose." 

Since  returning  home,  I  liave  read  with  great  pleasure  in 
The  Christian  Advocate^  a  report  of  the  opening  of  the  College, 
■which  I  think  worthy  of  a  more  permanent  form.  '•  The  inau- 
gural exercises  were  held  ou  Wednesday,  August  19.    The  con- 


58  Rainhlcs  throiujh  the  British  Isles. 

gregation  was  iiumense.  R.v  S.  R.  Hall,  President  ol  the 
British  Wesleyan  Couiercuce,  occujiied  the  chair,  and  made  a 
very  hapj^y  opening  speech.  Rev.  William  Arthur  then  deliv- 
ered his  inaugural  address.  He  used  no  notes,  but  spake  such 
eloquence  and  power  of  thought  as  to  receive  the  highest  eulo- 
gies from  the  most  distinguished  scholars  who  heard  him.  He 
discussed  the  question  of  '  liberal  education,'  and  directed  his 
remarks  upon  its  range  and  process;  its  methods,  limits,  and 
practical  object.  In  speaking  on  the  last  j^oint,  he  urged  with 
great  emphasis,  '  The  jsractical  object  of  ordinary  education  is 
to  train  happy  and  useful  men  for  the  ordinary  services  of  life, 
and  of  the  higher  education  to  train  happy  and  useful  men  for 
the  higher  services  of -life.  Among  tutors  the  most  enviable  is 
he  who  sends  out  into  the  world  the  greatest  number  of  pupils 
whose  lives  shall  be  a  joy  to  themselves  and  a  blessing  to  others. 
Among  pupils  the  most  enviable  is  lie  who,  leaving  college, 
carries  within  his  own  breast  to  his  native  village,  or  up  to  one 
of  the  less  or  higher  summits  of  public  life,  a  Avell-spring  of 
blessing  that  shall  carry  good  to  all  Ijelowhis  level.  The  object 
is  not  to  make  a  great  classic,  a  great  mathematician,  a  great 
national  philospher,  a  great  poet,  a  gi'eat  orator,  or  a  great 
statesman.  A  man  may  be  a  great  classic  and  an  ignoramus, 
may  be  a  great  Tnathematician  and  a  simpleton,  may  be  a  jaoet — 
a  great  poet — and  a  wretch;  a  man  may  be  well  versed  in  poli- 
tics and  a  public  plague.  When  the  pupil  shows  mental  incom- 
petence or  social  imjiropriety,  the  work  of  the  tutor  is  marred. 
A  learned  ignoramus  is  in  some  respects  more  helpless  than  «ne 
who  knows  not  letters ;  a  learned  boor  is  not  less  disagreeable 
than  his  brother  Avho  holds  the  plow,  and  of  ufipleasant  things 


A  Ddi/  in  Belfast.  09 

very  few  would  you  wish  to  keep  at  a  distance  more  than  a 
learned  'prig.'  When  the  pupil  is  soiled  by  moral  stains,  the 
work  of  tiio  tutor  is  not  only  marred  but  perverted.' 

;Mr.  Arthur  was  I'ullowed  by  llev.  Dr.  Henry,  President  of 
Queen's  College,  Galway.  He  commenced  by  complimenting 
liev.  "W.  Artliur  on  the  address  he  had  just  delivered,  and 
a^kod  amid  nuich  applause,  that  an  opportunity  might  be  given 
him  of  placing  it  in  the  hands  of  the  teachers  over  whom  he 
(Dr.  Henry)  had  the  happiness  to  preside.  He  greatly  rejoiced 
that  the  Methodist  body  had  thought  it  right  to  take  a  distinc- 
tive position  as  a  Church  in  Ireland. 

Wm.  M'Arthur,  Esq,  High  Sheriff  of  London,  (a  Methodist 
layman,  and  one  of  the  most  generous  donors  to  the  college 
enterprise,)  was  next  called  out  for  a  speech.  He  spoke  as 
usual  with  marked  appropriateness  and  force.  His  speech 
includes  the  following  reference  to  American  friends  6f  the 
new  college  enterprise  : 

'  Sir,  I  appreciate  the  extraordinary  liberality  of  Irish  Metho- 
dism, but  it  would  be  ungrateful  were  I  not  to  acknowledge 
the  help  we  have  had  from  other  quarters.  There  is. one  draw- 
back to  the  enjoyment  of  the  day,  and  that  is  that  there  is  not 
on  the  platform  some  representative  of  the  Methodist  Ejjiscopal 
Church  of  America.  We  are  under  very  great  obligation  to 
that  Church.  They  have  taken  the  deepest  interest  in  this 
matter  from  the  commencement,  and  it  would  have  gladdened 
our  hearts  to  have  seen  some  of  the  distinguished  men  of  that 
Church  with  us  on  that  occasion.  Our  excellent  friends. 
Bishop  Snnpson,  Bishop  Janes,  Dr.  M'Clintock,  and  a  host  of 
other  noble  men,   have  aided   us  in   every  possible  way.     The 


60  Rambles  through  the  British  Isles. 

same  remark  will  apply  to  the  laity  of  that  Church,  especially 
those  gentlemen  who  were  originally  connected  with  Ireland, 
and  whose  affections  and  sympathies  still  tm"n  to  their  iather- 
land.  It  would  be  invidious  to  mention  names,  but  I  cannot 
but  refer  to  two,  who  from  the  first  have  been  our  ste.idy, 
unwavering  friends — John  and  George  Elliott,  of  New  York. 
We  are  also  indebted  to  our  friends  in  Canada.  I  only  regret, 
on  their  own  account  as  well  as  ours,  that  they  should  have 
passed  a  resolution  limiting  the  amount  of  their  grant."' 

Rev.  Dr.  M'Cosh,  President  elect  of  Princeton  College,  N. 
J.,  was  the  next  speaker.  He  was  received  with  prolonged 
applause.  He  said  the  most  fervent  Methodist  present  did 
not  rejoice  more  than  he  in  the  success  of  that  undertaking. 
He  felt  an  interest  in  the  college  from  the  commencement. 
He  had  held  conference  after  conference  with  Mr.  Arthur  and 
others  as  to  how  it  might  be  made  effectually  to  accomplish  the 
great  end  for  which  it  was  destined.  He  rejoiced  in  the  crea- 
tion of  that  college  on  a  variety  of  grounds.  It  would  be  the 
means  of  elevating  the  Methodist  Church,  not  only  jn  Ulster 
or  Ireland,  but  in  the  three  countries,  and  in  the  missionary 
field  throughout  the  world.  He  had  great  doubts,  after  look- 
ing to  the  magnificent  building,  the  President,  the  other  teach- 
ers, and  the  prestige  the  college  had  acquired,  whether  the 
Methodist  body  had  any  institution  equal  to  it  in  any  country. 
He  was  sure  there  was  none  superior  to  it.  He  believed  that 
the  example  set  in  Belfast  that  day,  would  be  copied  in  England 
and  otiier  places  with  the  best  results ;  it  would  be  the  means 
of  increasing  the  usefulness  of  the  Methodist  body.  Many 
years  ago,  he  had  resolved  to   render  service  to  the  people 


A  Day  in  Belfast.  61 

called  the  Methodists,  if  it  were  ever  in  liig  power.  "WTion  ho 
and  otlier  ministers  left  the  Established  Church  of  Scotland, 
and  Ibrmed  the  Free  Church  of  Scotland,  they  were  in  cir- 
cumstances of  great  difficulty.  They  had  to  provide  for  the 
minister  from  a  people  who  were  not  accustomed  to  the  burden. 
There  were  two  bodies  from  which  they  met  comfort  and  sym- 
pathy and  powerful  aid — one  was  the  Presbyterian  Church 
and  the  other  was  the  Methodist  body  in  the  three  countries. 
He  went  thi-ough  the  counties  of  England,  and  received  the 
warm  support  of  the  Methodist  ministers,  and  he  felt  if  he 
ever  had  an  opportunity  of  doing  good  for  their  body,  he  was 
bound  to  attempt  it.  He  rejoiced  in  the  cause,  for  it  would  be 
the  means  of  sending  forth  an  educated  ministry.  .  He  did  not 
reckon  a  collegiate  education  as  being  the  most  essential  thing, 
in  order  to  get  a  man  to  become  a  minister  of  the  Gospel  of 
Christ.  There  was  a  higher  teaching  than  could  be  had  in 
any  college,  and  that  was,  to  be  taught  of  God  (Hear,  hear.) 
But  being  called  and  taught  of  God,  he  believed  a  young  man 
might  receive  an  immense  strength  and  great  increase  of  use- 
fulness, from  the  circumstance  that  he  was  brought  up  in  a 
college,  with  its  many  influences.  They  were  aware  that  at 
the  present  time  there  was  a  discussion  of  an  important  de- 
scription, and  he  did  believe  it  would  lead  to  excellent  results, 
as  to  how  an  education  given  in  the  national  colleges  and 
universities  might  be  combined  with  religious  instruction. 
That,  he  believed,  was  the  great  question  of  the  day ;  it  was 
inferior  to  no  other.  (Hear,  hear.)  He  would  not  enter  into 
the  sectarian  question;  he  would  depart  from  the  spirit  of 
Wesley anism  if  he  did ;  but  he  might  appeal  to  facts.     It  was 


62  RamUes  through  the  British  Isles. 

said  that  every  man  appointed  to  a  cliair  in  the  college  should 
be  a  spiritual  teacher ;  it  was  a  theory,  but  he  was  sorry  to 
say  that  in  most  of  the  colleges  it  was  little  less  than  theory. 
Those  men  who  taught  their  own  branches,  did  not  feel  any 
interest  in  religion  themselves ;  and  not  feeling  any  interest  in 
religion,  how  could  they  find  any  interest  in  imparting  it  to 
others  ?  Only  a  few  weeks  ago,  it  was  acknowledged  to  him 
by  some  Scotch  professors,  that  the  Scotch  colleges  were  now 
merely  secular  institutions.  He  would  not  wonder  if  this 
were  to  turn  out  to  be  the  solution  of  the  difficulty  in  which 
they  were ;  they  should  have  secular  instruction  given  by  tlie 
men  most  competent  for  it ;  the  national  universities  should 
be  open  to  all — (applause) — to  Wesleyans  and  every  other  com- 
munity. (Applause.)  All  should  be  put  on  an  equal  footing, 
on  the  most  perfect  equality.  (Applause.)  They  should  also 
have  religious  instruction.  They  should  have  something  for 
the  spiritual  man.  (Hear,  hear.)  How  was  this  to  be  pro- 
cured, if  not  by  the  colleges  and  all  Christians  associating  for 
this  purpose?  This  was  being  accomplished  in  this  place. 
There  was  the  Queen's  College,  in  which  instruction  was  given 
by  men  eminent  in  their  several  departments,  and  thoroughly 
competent  in  their  work.  (Applause.)  Spiritual  instruction 
must  come  from  religious  men,  hoving  the  sanction  of  the 
bodies  with  which  they  are  connected;  and  this  was  provided 
in  the  Methodist  College.  The  last  pul)lic  work  in  which  he 
had  been  engaged  was  something  of  the  same  kind  in  connec- 
tion with  the  Presbyterian  College,  and  the  members  of  the 
Episcopal  Churcli  were  looking  forward  to  such  an  institution 
in  their  own  Church.     The  mixed  system  was  a  beautiful  one. 


A  Day  in  Belfast. 


m 


in  which    Protestant  wrestled  with  Catholic,  and    Methodist 
v.ith    Presbyterians. 

Subsequent  to  the  inaugural  exercises,  a  business  meeting 
was  called,  and  several  generous  subscriptions  were  miidc  by 
the  friends  present  in  aid  of  the  funds.  The  whole  occasion 
was  a  glad  one  for  Irish  Methodists  in  particular,  and  for  the 
friends  of  Irish  Protestantism  in  general." 


^.^^ 


VII. 

Dublin. 

Dublin !  a  thousand  recollections  lise 

Witli  thy  dear  name  'mid  foreign  seas  and  skies ; 

Still  should  my  heart  for  thee  a  spot  contain  : 

Oh  I  let  thy  beauties  now  inspire  my  strain. 

Bayley. 

EELAND  may  well  be  proud  of  ter  capital. 
^  Situated  on  the  banks  of  the  beautiful  Liffey, 
|^y\  about  a  mile  from  the  entrance,  it  presents  to 
^W^^S^  the  eye  a  prospect,  which  is  but  seldom  ex- 
ceeded for  richness  and  variety.  The  scenery  on 
>  Q  entering  the  river  is  unlike  any  I  ever  saw  before  ; 
running  out  into  the  sea,  are  two  peninsulas,  which 
look  like  arms  stretched  out  to  receive  the  wave  worn 
and  sea  tossed  vessel  into  shelter,  security,  and  quiet.  The 
morning  on  which  my  eyes  first  looked  upon  this  novel  sight 
was  one  of  peculiar  loveliness,  and  no  doubt  added  much  of 


jbuhlin.  65 

beauty  to  the  scene.     On  the  right  of  the  bay,  is  the  hill  of 
Howth : 

"  '  Twas  on  the  top  of  that  high  place 

St.  Patrick  preached  the  sarment, 

Which  drew  the  frogs  into  the  bogs, 

And  banished  all  the  varmint " 

On  the  left  is  Dolky  Island  and  the  Black  Eock — which 
places  Dr.  Crook  charged  me  to  be  sure  and  see  during  my 
stay  in  Dublin.  The  Liffey  divides  the  city  into  almost  two 
equal  parts,  and  is  spanned  by  eight  or  nine  bridges,  which  add 
not  a  little  to  the  appearance  of  the  bay.  Carlisle  bridge — 
which  is  the  lowest  on  the  river,  as  well  as  the  largest  and 
handsomest — is  built  of  stone,  and  has  three  arches  of  moderate 
width.  From  this  bridge  may  be  seen  as  glorious  a  panorama 
as  the  eye  may  wish  to  rest  upon. 

To  the  east  and  west  is  the  Liffey,  with  its  forests  of  masts 
and  granite  sides  running  for  a  distance  of  from  two  to  three 
miles,  while  the  magnificent  Custom  House,  prince-like  in  her 
stateliness,  keeps  watch  on  all ;  southward  is  Westmoreland  street, 
with  the  Bank  of  Ireland  and  Trinity  College  visible  in  the 
distance;  while  to  the  north  is  Sackville  street,  which  will 
compare  with  any  in  the  empire,  and  which  has  been  called 
♦'  the  grandest  thoroughfare  in  Europe." 

In  respect  to  location  and  classic  beauty,  Dublin  stands 
second  only  to  Edinburgh  in  the  United  Kingdom.  It  has 
many  handsome  squares,  parks,  and  pleasure  grounds — among 
which  are  St.  Stephen's  Green,  College  Park,  Merrian,  Mount- 
joy  and  Eutland  Squares,  with  the  Coburn  and  Botanical  Gar- 
dens;  these  are  beautifully  laid  out  in  shaded  walks,  weU- 


66  Rambles  throucjh  the  British  Isles. 

filled  flower  beds  dotted  witli    flowering   shrubs,    and    ever- 
greens, which  please  the  eye  and  till  the  air  with  perfume. 
But  the  glory  of  the  place  is  its 

PHCENIX  PARK. 
Seventeen  hundred  acres  of  land,  laid  out  as  a  pleasure 
ground  and  enclosed  by  a  stonewall,  is  what  few  other  cities,  if 
any,  can  show.  Here  infinite  variety  and  beauty  of  scenery 
abound;  its  shady  walks  and  bandsome  drives;  its  bills,  ravines, 
and  extensive  woodlands  ;  its  rare  fiowers  and  sweet  scented 
hawthorn;  its  lakes,  bridges  and  velvet  lawns,  over  which 
rove  beautiful  deer,  go  to  make  up  a  picture  which  might  sat- 
isfy and  afford  pleasure  to  the  most  critical  visitor.  In  the 
center  of  tbe  iDark  are  the  residences  of  the  Viceroy,  the  chief 
and  under  secretaries;  the  Hibernian  school,  for  the  education 
of  children-  and  orphans  of  Irish  soldiers ;  the  Barracks  and 
the  Royal  Military  Infirmary.  There  in  One  corner  of  the 
park  are  the  Zoological  Gardens,  containing  a  very  fine  collec- 
tion, and  possessing  a  large  and  beautiful  lake,  Avell  stocked 
with  a  variety  of  rare  water  fowl.  Xear  this  is  Wellington's 
monument,  a  heavy  obelisk  of  two  hundred  and  ten  feet  in 
hight,  said  to  have  cost  about  one  hundred  and  twentv-five 
thousand  dollars.  Not  far  from  this  stands  the  Phoenix  Column, 
from  the  top  of  which  may  be  seen  the  "  Magazine  "  tor  the 
storing  of  ammunition,  which  is  thus  sarcastically  immortalized 
by  Dean  Swift: 

"Behold  a  proof  of  Irish  sense  ; 

Here  Irish  wit  is  scon : 

When  nothing's  left  that's  Tvorth  defense 

We  huild  a  magazine." 

Phoenix  Park,  take  it  all  in  all,  has  no  equal  in  Europe  ! 


Dublin.  67 

The  next  place  worthy  of  note,  and  which  is  not  without 
historic  importance,  is  a  Romish  looking  Gothic  pile  called 
ST.   PATRICK'S    CAXHEDKAL. 

It  is  thought,  by  some,  to  have  been  founded  in  1169  by 
Archbishop  Comyn,  on  the  site  of  a  church  said  to  have  been 
built  by  St.  Patrick  in  448.  It  has  now  the  form  of  a  cross, 
and  is  surmounted  by  a  lofty  spire.  I'hc  interior  arrangements 
ai-e  highly  ornamented,  and  present  a  specimen  of  mediseval 
architecture  which  is  called  the  finest  now  remaining  in  Ire- 
land- 111  f^ie  aisles  are  numerous  monuments  and  marble  tombs 
of  every  fashion,  with  carved  work,  curious  and  antique,  look- 
Lig  the  repose  of  ages.  And  here  also  may  lie  seen  the  banner, 
helmet  and  insignia,  of  many  a  lord  and  knight  now  moulder- 
ing in  the  dust  beneath.  Perhaps  the  most  ancient  tomb  in 
this  venerable  building  are  those  of  Archbishops  Michael  Tre- 
gury  and  John  Comyn,  the  former  in  full  pontifical  robes,  with 
mitre,  crosier  and  crucifix,  that  of  the  latter  being  im- 
pressed in  brass  on  a  large  stoue  slab.  Strange  to  say, 
Saint  Patrick  was  not  an  Irishman  ;  he  was  born  in  Scotland, 
not  far  from  the  town  of  Dumbarton,  It  is  true  that  he  spent 
most  of  his  life  in  Ireland,  and  was  eminently  successful  as  an 
Apostle  in  doing  good — yet  not  as  a  Romanist !  St.  Patrick 
was  a  Protestant !  All  his  writings  prove  him  to  have  been 
a  worshiper  of  God,  not  of  saints  or  angels.  In  Archbishop 
Hamilton's  Conversion  of  St.  PatricTc,  we  find  the  following  which 
serves  Avell  to  show  in  whom  the  saint  was  wont  to  trust. 
SAINT    PATRICK'S    CREED. 

"  There  is  no  other  God,  nor  ever  was,  nor  will  be  after  Him, 
except  God  the  Father,  witiiotit  beginning,  from  whon\  is  all 


68  Ramhles  through  the  British  Isles. 

beginning,  who  upholds  all  things ;  and  his  Son  Jesus  Christ, 
whom,  together  with  the  Father,  we  testify  to  have  always  ex- 
isted, who  was  before  the  beginning,  by  whom  were  made  all 
things,  visible  and  invisible,  who  was  made  man,  and  having 
overcome  death  was  received  into  heaven  to  the  Father;  who 
will  render  to  every  one  according  to  his  deeds;  and  has 
poured  out  abundantly  on  us  the  gift  of  the  Holy,  Ghost,  the 
earnest  of  immortality;  who  make  those  that  believe  and  obey 
to  be  sons  of  God  the  Father,  and  joint  heirs  with  Christ ; 
whom  we  confess  and  adore,  one  God  in  the  Trinity  of  the 
sacred  name." 

SAINT    PATBICK'S    ARMOR    HYMN. 
"  I  bind  to  myself  to-day, 
The  power  of  God  to  guide  m", 
Tiie  might  of  God  to  uphold  me, 
Tlje  wisdom  of  God  to  teach  me, 
The  eye  of  God  to  watch  me. 
The  ear  of  God  to  hear  me. 
The  word  of  God  to  g  ve  me  spirit, 
The  hand  of  God  to  protect  me, 
The  way  of  God  to  prevent  me. 
The  shield  of  God  to  shelter  me. 
The  host  of  God   to  defend  me. 
Against  snares  of  demons, 
Against  the  temptations  of  vices, 
Against  any  man  who  injures  me, 
Whether  far  or  near, 

"With  few,  or  with  many. 

Christ  with  me  to-day, 

Christ  before  me,  Christ  behind  me, 

Christ  within  me,  Christ  beneath  me, 

Christ  above  me,  Christ  at  my  right  hand, 

Christ  at  my  left  hand,  Christ  at  the  fort, 


LuUin.  t>9 

Christ  in  the  poop,  Christ  in  the  Chariot  seat. 
Christ  in  the  heart  of  eveiy  man  who  thinks  of  me, 
Christ  in  the  mouth  of  every  man  who  speaks  of  me, 
Christ  in  the  eye  of  every  man  that  sees  mc. 
Christ  in  every  ear  that  hears  nie. 

"  I  bind  to  myself  to-day  the  strong  power  of  an  invocation 
of  the  Trinity,  the  faith  of  the  Trinity  in  unity,  the  Creator  of 
the  elements.  ^ 

Domini  est  Salus, 

Domini   est    Salus, 

Christi  est  Salus, 

Salus  tua  Domini  sit  semper  nobiscum. 

TRANSLATION. 

Salvation  is  of  the  Lord, 

Salvation  is  of  the  Lord, 

Salvation  is  of  Chrst, 

Thy  salvation,  O  Lord,  is  always  with  us 

Not  on^  word  about  saints,  angels^  or  the  Virgin  Mary! 

But  I  have  wandered  somewhat  away  from  the  direct  route ; 
let  us  go  back  again  to  the  old  Cathedral.  Here  upon  the 
wall  is  a  black  marble  tablet,  sacred  to  the  memory  of  Duke 
Schomberg,  the  noble  leader  of  King  William's  army,  who  fell 
at  the  battle  of  the  Boyne,  in  the  eighty-second  year  of  his 
age,  when  leading  his  men  across  the  river,  1690. 

Suspended  above  Schomberg's  tablet,  is  the  cannon  ball  by 
which  General  St.  Ruth  was  killed  &t  Aughrim.  A  little 
farther  on,  is  the  grave  of  "  Stella,"  (Miss  Johnson),  whom 
Dean  Swift  has  introduced  to  the  wide,  wide  world ,  and  here 
too  is  the  Dean's  grave,  the  distinguished  author  and  eccentric 


70  Hambles  through  the  British  Isles. 

wit,  who  was  finally  outwitted  by  death  !     "While  I  stood  before 
it,  the  words  of  Dr.  Young  came  to  mind : 

Sense  is  the  diamond,  weighty,  solid,  sound ; 
Wlien  cut  Ijy  wit  it  casts  a  brighter  beam  ; 

Yet,  wit  apart,  it  is  a  diamond  still. 
"Wit,  widowed  of  good  sense,  is  worse  than  naught ; 
It  hoists  more  sail  to  run  against  a  rook." 

At  present,  St.  Patrick's  Cathedral  is  far  famed  for  its  artis- 
tic music ;  tlie  organ  is  one  of  the  largest  and  best  in  the 
kingdom,  and  the  well  trained  choir  never  fail  to  caU  out  a 
full  house — for  it  is  to  hear  the  singing,  not  the  preaching,  that 
people  flock  to  this  ancient  temple.  And  with  some  truthful- 
ness have  a  portion  of  the  citizens  called  the  church  "  Paddy's 
opera." 

One  of  the  principal  ornaments  of  the  city,  and  indeed  of 
the  nation,  is 

TRINITY     COLLEGE. 

This  is  the  Alma  Mater  of  Young,  Gould,  Smith,  Swift,  Ham- 
ilton, Congrove,  Burke,  Dodwell,  Grattau,  Coulter,  etc.,  and 
though  belonging  to  the  Establishment,  is  not  so  exclusive  as 
either  Cambridge  or  Oxford.  "  This  great  seminary  of  learning, 
the  worthy  rival  of  the  English  Universities,  and  in  usefulness 
and  liberality  far  surpasssing  them,  is  an  object  of  just  pride 
to  the  Irish  nation.  There  are  one  or  two  important  diflfer- 
ences  between  the  Dublin  and  English  Universities,  which 
must  not  be  j)assed  over  in  siience.  The  most  important  of 
these  is,  that  the  Dublin  College  receives  within  its  walls  dis- 
senters of  every  denomination,  and  refuses  to  them  no  col- 
legiate honors  or  degrees,  except  such  as  are  by  statute  cou- 


Dublin.  71 

nccted  witli  the  ecclesiastical  discipline  of  the  University. 
This  liberality  lias  been  attended  witli  the  best  effects ;  the 
friendships  formed  at  College,  have  in  countless  instances  soft- 
ened the  asperities  of  the  mixed  political  and  religious  contro- 
versies by  which  Ireland  is  agitated,  and  has  preserved  a  link 
of  social*onnection,  v^rhen  all  other  bonds  were  broken.  An- 
other essential  difference  is,  that  the  study  of  the  modern  lan- 
guages form  a  part  of  the  education  of  Trinity  College. 
Prizes  have  been  established  for  proficiency  in  the  French, 
German  and  Italian  languages."  The  building  is  made  up  of 
three  quadrangles,  and  built  of  Portland  stone,  after  the  Cor- 
inthian order.  The  principal  front,  measures  about  six  hun- 
dred feet.  The  library  is  considered  the  finest  in  the  empire. 
It  occupies  the  whole  length  of  the  second  quadrangle,  and 
contains  about  two  hundred  thousand  volumes.  Between  the 
windows,  on  both  sides,  are  partitions  of  oak,  projecting  at 
right  angles  from  the  side  walls,  and  forming  recesses,  in  which 
the  books  are  arranged.  Here  too,  finely  executed  in  white 
marble,  are  the  busts  of  poets,  philosophers  and  sages,  of  all 
lands,  including  sevei'al  'of  her  most  distinguished  sons. 

Heroes  in  animated  marble  frown, 
And  Legislators  seem  to  tliink  in  stone. 

The  museum  is  a  very  handsome  apartment,  about  sixty 
feet  long,  and  forty  wide.  It  contains  over  nine  thousand 
mineral  specimens.  And  here,  hanging  high  and  dry,  is  the 
harp  of  Brian  Boru. 

"  He  touched  hia  harp,  and  nations  heard  enchanted." 

Brian  was   the  great  Irish  hero,  who  raised  himself  to  be 


72  Rambles  through  the  British  Isles. 

King  of  the  Islands,  and  defeated  the  Danes  at  the  great  battle 
of  Clontarlin,  in  1014. 

"  Oh  give  me  one  Strain, 

Of  that  wild  harp  again, 

In  melody  proudly  its  own. 

Sweet  harp  of  the  days  that  are  gone."  ♦ 

Trinity  College — with  its  princely  endowment,  its  spacious 
building,  and  able  corps  of  professors,  its  ably  selected 
library,  and  well  filled  museum,  its  park,  containing  twenty 
acres  of  land,  a  mile  and  a  half  in  circuit — may  safely  be 
pronounced  one  of  the  best  institutions  of  learning  in  the 
world ! 

In  1591,  it  was  founded  by  Queen  Elizabeth,  "  to  endure  for- 
ever, for  the  instruction  of  youth  in  the  arts  and  sciences." 
But  alas  !  alas !  how  few  of  Erin's  sons  can  enter  this  Hall  of 
Learning!  It  requires  money  to  fit  for  and  pass  through 
Trinity,  and  this  is  the  want  of  the  masses  in  Ireland ;  conse- 
quently only  the  favored  few  can  avail  themselves  of  the  drill 
and  culture  of  the  college,  and  so  far  as  the  poor  and  middle 
classes  are  concerned,  they  might  as  well  be  without  Trinity 
College. 

"  O,  for  the  coming  of  that  glorious  time. 
When,  prizing  knowledge  as  her  noblest  wealth 
And  best  protection,  this  imperial  realm. 
While  she  exacts  allegiance,  shall  admit 
An  obligation,  on  her  part,  to  teach 
Them  who  are  bom  to  serve  her  and  obey ; 
Binding  herself,  by  statute,  to  secure 
For  all  the  children  whom  her  toil  maintaining. 
The  rudiments  of  letters,  and  inform 


Duhlm.  73 

The  mind  with  moral  and  religious  truth, 
Both  understood  and  practiced— so  that  none, 
However  destitute,  be  left  to  droop, 
By  timely  culture  unsustaiued  ;  or  run 
Into  a  wild  disorder;  or  be  forced 
To  drudge  through  a  weary  life,  without  the  help 
Of  intellectual  implements  and  tools ; 
A  savage  horde'amongthe  civilizi  d, 
A  servile  band   among  the  lordly  free." 
Standing  on  College  Green,  quite  close  to  the  University,  is 
the 

BANK    OF    IRELAND. 

It  seems  too  bad,  that  this  grand  legislative  pile,  which 
once  echoed  with  the  eloquence  of  such  men  as  Flood,  Fitz- 
gerald, Curran  and  Grattan,  should  be  turned  into  a  money- 
exchange  ;  I  do  not  wonder  that  at  the  sight  many  a  patriot 
is  said  to  have  wept.  Indeed,  the  carman  who  conveyed  me 
from  one  place  of  interest  to  another,  wben  he  drew  up  in 
front  of  this  noble  building  almost  wept,  while  he  exclaimed 
— "Ah  Sir,  poor  Ireland  has  not  seen  a  well  day  since  she 
lost  her  Parliament,  and  it  is  my  opinion,  she  never  will, 
until  she  is  herself  again."  It  was  erected  in  1739,  and  is 
built  in  the  form  of  a  crescent,  witli  a  fine  portico,  supported 
by  a  beautiful  colonade  of  Ionic  columns,  which  calls  forth  the 
admiration  of  all  beholders.  Its  central  pillars  support  a 
pediment  bearing  the  royal  arms,  and  statues  of  Hibernia, 
Fidelity  and  Commerce.  The  eastern  front  on  CoUege  street, 
consists  of  a  portico  of  the  Corinthian  order,  with  pediment 
and  statues  of  Fortitude,  Justice  and  Liberty.  In  this  mag- 
nificent building  we  have  an  index  to  the  generous  impulses 
of  the  Irish  heart. 


74  RamUes  tlirough  the   Briiish  Isles. 

It  is  not  Tvitliout  some  resemblance  Moore  has  likened  the 
fate  of  his  unhappy  country  to  the  "  Sad  one  of  Zion." 

"  Lite  them  dotli  our  nation  lie  conquered  and  broken, 
And  fallen  from  her  head  is  the  once  royal  crown ; 
In  her  streets,  in  her  halls.  Desolation  has  spoken, 
And  while  it  is  day  yet,  her  sun  has  gone  down." 


'  It  puts  Uie  world  in 


it  wliirls  along." 


VIII. 

In  and    Akouxb  Dublin. 

This  city  now  doth,  like  a  garment,  wear 
The  heauty  of  the  morning ;  silent,  fair, 
Ships,  towers,  domes,  theatres  and  temples  lie 
Open  unto  the  fields  and  to  the  sky. 


?fe^y^^s=|^^^N  the  north  bank  of  the  Liffey, 
V  "'^'^^^'a^^.'^o  Quay,  is  situated  a  noble  buildii 


near  Usher's 
Quay,  is  situated  a  noble  building.     Here  the 
§  Lord   Chancellor,    Chief  justice,    and  other 
officers  hold  their  courts.     Indeed,  it  may  be 
,#    called  the  Head  Center  of  tbe  Irish  bar.     To  it 
/'^    all  difficult  cases  are   brought  for  final  settle- 
„  ,  ;    ment ;  and  in  it  has  many  a  man  lost  his  Inst  shil- 

i^-^^li^o  ling.  It  has  been  truthfully  said — "  To  go  to  law,  is 
for  two  persons  to  kindle  a  fire  at  their  own  expense  to'  warm 
otliers,  and   singe   themselves  to   cinders;  and  because   they 


76  Jtainlles  throuyh  the  JJi  itixli,  Isles.  *" 

cannot  agree  as  to  what  is  truth  and  equity,  they  will  both 
agree  to  unplume  themselves,  that  others  may  be  decorated 
with  their  feathers."  Many  have  found  out  the  verity  of  these 
words  by  a  sad  experience,  and  when  ever  they  think  of  the 
Four  Courts  of  Dublin,  they  curse  inwardly.  The  plan  of 
the  Courts  comprises  a  central  building,  one  hundred  and 
forty  feet  square,  crowned  by  a  dome,  and  surrounding  this 
are  the  buildings  containing  the  different  law  offices.  It  is 
said  that  this  sight  was  once  occupied  by  the  Monastery  of  St. 
Saviour's,  "  where  some  solitary  beings  Avho  became  tired  of 
mankind,  here  met  the  devil  in  private."  And  now  when  men 
are  unable  to  agree  with  each  other  at  home,  they  come  here  to 
meet  the  devil  in  public.  The  front  of  the  principal  building 
has  a  beautiful  portico,  six  Corinthian  pillars,  with  pilasters 
supporting  a  pediment  surmounted  by  a  statue  of  Moses,  with 
Justice  and  Mercy  at  its  extremities,  while  above  the  pilas- 
ters are  representative  figures  of  Wisdom  and  Authority.  In- 
side is  a  circular  hall,  sixty-four  feet  in  diameter,  from  which 
the  Four  Courts  radiate  to  the  angles  of  the  square.  Over 
this  hall  rises  a  circular  lantern,  with  twenty-four  pillars  sup- 
porting a  magnificent  dome.  In  this  lantern  there  are  twelve 
windows  between  which  are  statues  representing  Liberty,  Jus- 
tice, Wisdom,  Prudence,  Law,  Mercy,  Eloquence  and  Punish- 
ment ;  also  medallions  of  eight  of  the  world's  greatest  law- 
givers: Moses,  Lycurgus,  Solon,  Numa,  Confucius,  Alfred, 
Mancho,  Capac,  and  Ollamah  Fodhla.  Beneath  the  dome  is 
a  colossal  statue  of  Truth,  holding  a  torch,  which  by  means  of 
gaslight  serves  the  purpose  of  illuminating  the  Hall  during 
the  evening  sittings  of  the  courts.     Under  this  roof  was  often 


In  (Old  Around  Dublin.  77 

hoard  the  eloquence  of  Curran,  O'Conncll,  Shiel,  and  others 
of  like  caliber.  To  the  south  of  the  Liffey,  and  but  a  short 
distance  Irom  the  Bank  of  Ireland,  stands 
DUBLIN  CASTLE. 
Having  reached  a  wide  gatewayf  my  driver  said  :  "  Sir,  this 
is  the  entrance  to  the  castle  yard,"  and  giving  his  horse  a  cut 
with  the  whip,  he  drove  through  into  an  open  couit,  in  which 
were  soldiers  pacing  up  and  down.  The  Castle  was  founded 
in  1205,  and  completed  in  1220,  by  Henry  Lenders,  the  noto- 
rious Archbishop  of  Dublin,  whose  name  has  been  handed 
down  to  posterity-  from  his  having  treacherously  burned  the 
writs  and  papers  by  which  his  tenantry  held  their  houses  and 
lands.  The  Castle  has  passed  through  many  changes,  and  is 
now  a  combination  of  old  and  new  masonry.  In  1534,  Lord 
Thomas  Fitzgerald,  Vice  Deputy  of  the  Island,  tried  in  vain  to 
storm  it ;  the  loyal  people  being  more  than  a  match  for  him. 
Over  the  entrance  to  the  Coui-t  are  figures  of  Justice  and  For- 
titude. Here  also  is  the  Chapel  Eoyal,  which  was  rebuilt  about 
fifty  years  ago,  and  is  regarded  as  an  exquisite  specimen  of 
English  Gothic.  The  building  is  small,  and  consists  of  a 
choir,  with  a  series  of  buttresses,  ending  in  crochets,  pin- 
nacles and  crosses.  Over  the  northern  doorway,  are  two  busts, 
one  of  St.  Peter  and  the  other  of  Dean  Swift ;  above  the 
eastern  door  are  those  of  St.  Patrick,  the  Virgin  and  Brian 
Boru.  A  strange  group  this!  Indeed  every  thing  about  this 
Royal  Chaj)el  savors  of  Popery,  and  I  could  hardly  make  my- 
self believe  it  to  be  a  Protestant  place  of  worship.  On  its 
stained  glass  windows,  through  which  comes  a  dim,  religious 
light,  are  many  popish  symbols  and  signs   all  pointing  Home- 


78  Ramhles  through  the  British   Isles. 

ward ;  as  I  gazed  at  tlie  same  I  coiild  not  help  tliinking  o£  the 
words  of  Latimer  :  "  When  the  Devil  is  resident,  and  boih  his 
ploughs  going,  then  away  with  books,  and  up  with  candles ; 
away  with  Bibles,  and  up  with  beads;  away  Avith  the  light  of 
the  gospel,  and  up  with  liie  light  of  candles ;  yea,  at  noon- 
day." 

On  my  way  from  Dublin  1  crossed  the  river  Boyne,  memor- 
able as  the  spot  where,on  the  12th  of  July,  1690,  William  III. 
gained  the  victory  over  James  the  II,  which  led  to  the  i-e-estab- 
lishment  of  Protestantism  in  Ireland.  On  the  rock  that  juts 
out  a  little  into  the  stream,  is  erected  a  monument  which  has 
an  altitude  of  one  hundred  and  fifty  feet  above  the  level  of 
the  river;  on  the  pedestal  is  the  following  inscription:  "  Sacred 
to  the  glorious  memory  of  King  William  the  Third,  who,  on 
the  twelfth  of  July,  1690,  passed  the  river  near  this  place,  to 
attack  James  the  Second,  at  the  head  of  a  Popish  army,  advan- 
tageously posted  on  the  south  side  of  it,  and  did  on  that  day, 
by  a  successful  battle,  secure  to  us  and  our  posterity  our  liberty, 
laws  and  religion.  In  consequence  of  this  action,  James  the 
Second  left  this  kingdom  and  fled  to  France.  This  memorial 
of  our  deliverance  was  erected  in  the  ninth  year  of  the  reign 
of  King  George  the  Second,  the  first  stone  being  laid  by 
Lionel  Sackville,  Duke  of  Dorset,  Lord  Lieutenant  of  this 
kingdom,  MDCCXXXYI." 

No  river  in  Ireland  has  so  many  historic  events  connected 
with  it  as  the  Boyne.  There  is  scarcely  a  rock,  mound,  or  ford, 
but  has  its  legend.  Here  it  was,  that  Erin's  petty  kings  and 
princes  loved  to  dwell.  Here  too,  Saint  Patrick  first  landed, 
and  after  him  came  the  Danes  and  Norsemen.  '  Drogheda  is 


la  and  Aromul  Dahlia.  1\) 

situated  on  tlie  Boyue,  about  four  miles  from  the  opening.  It 
is  one  of  the  ancient  fortilied.  towns,  and  its  past  record  occu- 
pies not  a  little  space  in  Irisli  and  English  History.  It  is  one 
of  the  many  places  that  suffered  much  from  the  hand  of 
Cromwell :  the  spot  where  he  first  commenced  his  work  of 
destruction,  is  still  known  liy  the  name  of  "Cromwell's  Fort."' 
The  town  is  almost  entirely  made  up  of  mud-walled  cot  tages, 
and  thatched  roofs,  with  a  population  of  about  fifteen  thousand 
— largely  Eoman  Catholic.  For  situation  and  beauty  of  sur- 
roundings, Drogheda  cannot  be  surpassed,  and  yet,  with  all 
this,  I  know  of  no  other  town  in  Ireland,  of  the  same  size,  in 
which  is  to  be  seen  so  much  poverty  and  wretchedness. 

Of  the  old  walls  and  fortifications  of  the  town  there  are 
still  some  interesting  remains,  the  most  perfect  of  which  are 
a  square  tower  of  most  elegant  proportions,  called  the  Magda- 
len's steeple,  a  Carmelite  Convent,  and  the  St.  Laurence  gate. 


\MiiA 


IX. 

The  Yale  of  Avoca, 

There  is  not  in  the  •wide  world  a  valley  so  sweet, 
As  that  vale  in  whose  bosom  the  bright  waters  meet; 
Oh,  the  last  rays  of  feeling  and  life  must  depart, 
Ere   the  bloom  of  that  valley  shall  fade  from  my  heart  I 

Moore. 

^^Ay^^^CXlMA  ^  "^^^'^  Dublin,  witbout  going  to  see  the  Vale 
>>\iy^it^i~\4fl    of   Avoca,   would   be   to   pass    by   the  most 
interesting  and  romantic  place  in  all  Ireland. 
^;. .  d^    Through  the  writings  of  Mr.  Thomas  Moore, 
the  Irish  have^me  to  look  upon  this  Vale  as  the 
loveliest  spot  on  earth  ! 

Taking  a  "heck-car"  in  Dublin,  which  will 
cost  from  fifty  to  seventy-five  cents,  you  may  see  all 
of  the  Vale,  worth  seeing,  in  half  a  day.  Through  the  center 
of  the  valley,  which  is  eight  miles  long,  and  about  a  quarter  of 
a  mile  in  width,  runs  a  little  bright,  sparkling  stream,  whose 
banks  are  covered  with  picturesque  groups  of  trees,  and  on 
either  side  of  which  rise  lofty  hills,  time-worn  and  ivy-mantled 
rocks — the  whole  making  up  a  picture  rich  in  landscape 
beauty. 


82  Rambles  through  the  British   Isles. 

Before  returning,  Ave  visited  a  small  cave,  wliere,  tradition 
says,  Saint  Kevin  fled,  to  escape  from  an  enamored  maiden, 
with  "  eyes  of  most  unholy  blue,"  Near  this  is  an  echo,  said 
to  be  the  finest  in  Ireland,  save  that  one  in  Killarney,  which, 
when  ye  shout,  "Paddy  Blake,  how  do  ye  do?"  answers, 
"Purty  well,  I  thank  you."  Here,  also,  are  the  ruins  of  the 
seven  churches,  reputed  to  have  been  built  during  the  sixth 
century,  and  about  which  there  arc  any  number  of  legends.  It 
is  said,  that  wlien  the  seven  churches  were  being  built,  the 
workmen  were  called  every  morning  to  their  labor,  by  the 
skylark.  "  They  had  no  watches  in  those  days,  and  the  song 
of  the  lark  served  as  a  signal  that  it  was  time  to  begin  their 
labor.  So  when  the  holy  work  was  at  an  end.  Saint  Kevin 
declared  that  no  lark  was  worthy  to  succeed  those  piou^^  birds 
that  had  helped  in  the  buiding  of  tlie  churches."  Here,  too, 
are  a  couple  of  small  lakes,  (ponds  they  would  be  called  in 
America),  about  one  of  which  Moore  writes, 

"  By  that  lake,  -whose  gloomy  shore. 
Skylarks  i.ever  warbl^'cr. 
Where  the  cliff  hangs  high  and  steep, 
Young  Saint  Kevia  stole  to  sleep." 

One  of  these  is  called  "The  Lake  of  Serpents,"  from  the  flict, 
that  into  it  Saint  Patrick  banished  all  the  snakes  of  Ireland. 
Tradition  says,  "  The  snakes  were  little  pleased  with  such 
damp  lodgings,  and  one  big  one,  in  particular,  used  often  to 
put  vtp  its  head,  and  prayed  the  saint  to  grant  it  a  little  more 
liberty.  So  Saint  Patrick,  in  his  good  nature,  drew  a  circle  on 
the  ground,  and  told  the  serpent  to  consider  that  as  its  own 
land.     Now,  when  they  began  to  build  the  seven  churches,  the 


The     J 'ale  of  Avoca.  83 

serpent  was  very  angry  at  what  it  considered  an  invasion  of  its 
territory;  and  at  midnight  it  used  to  come  out  of  the  water, 
and  destroy  whiit  the  workmen  had  built  during  tlic  day.  At 
last,  Saint  Patrick  prayed  to  dispense  him  ti'om  the  promise  he 
had  made  to  the  snake,  and  God  allowed  the  saint  to  banish 
the  reptile  into  the  lake  again,  and  then  the  workmen  got  oH 
fast  enough  with  their  building." 

But  I  must  not  fail  to  let  fall  a  word  in  praise  of  an  institu- 
tion which  did  me  good  service  during  my  visit — I  mean  the 
^'■Jaunting-car.''''  This  is  a  vehicle  peculiar  to  the  Irish  nation, 
and  not  by  any  means  the  most  uncomfortable.  It  has  but  |,wo 
wheels,  on  the  axle  of  which  rests  two  springs,  which  support 
a  platform  that  extends  a  few  inches  above  and  over  the  same ; 
hinged  to  this  on  either  side,  are  foot-steps,  which,  when  let 
down,  hide  the  wheels,  so  that  they  can  only  be  seen  from  the 
back  or  front ;  between  the  seats  is  a  platform  six  or  seven 
inches  higher,  and  about  eighteen  inches  wide,  which  serves 
as  a  back,  and  repository  for  whatever  the  traveler  may  wish 
to  dispose  of  during  the  journey.  Tlie  seats  and  "  well,'"  as 
the  platform  is  commonly  called,  are  cushioned,  giving  an 
ease  and  comfort  to  the  institution,  unsurpassed  by  any  other. 
The  Ii-ish  do  well  in  holding  on  to  the  jaunting-car,  for  I  know 
of  no  other  vehicle  that  could  take  its  place.  The  roads  are  so 
hilly,  and  many  of  the  horses  are  so  halkij,  that  to  introduce  the 
American  buggy,  or  even  the  English  gig,  would  be  likely  to 
break  so  many  necks,  that  it  would  make  an  end  of  all  the 
Accident  Insurance  Companies  in  a  short  time. 

There  is  no  mode  of  conveyance  in  Ireland,  or  anywhere, 
safer  than  the  jaunting-car,  for  in  riding  up  a  steep  hill,  (which 


84  Rambles  through  the  British  Isles. 

by-the-way,  you  will  meet  with,  in  almost  every  mile  of  travel) 
il  you  have  any  sympathy  for  the  noble  animal,  the  horse,  you 
will  step  oif  and  walk  to  the  top,  and  then,  if  your  life  is  of  any 
consequence  to  yourself  or  friends,  you  willnot  be  persuaded, 
no,  not  even  by  the  hlarney  of  Pat,  to  get  on  until  you  reach 
the  bottom.  Unlike  all  other  modes  of  conveyance,  you  can 
jump  on  or  ofl'  the  jaunting-car,  even  when  going  at  a  good 
rate,  with  the  greatest  ease.  This  is  the  felfture,  above  all 
others,  that  commends  it  to  all  who  are  conversant  with  Irish 
roads. 

Ireland  is  noted  for  her  Round  Towers.  There  are  about  one 
hundred  and  eighteen  of  them  in  all,  in  different  states  of 
preservation.  It  is  said  that  these  mysterious  remains  of  anti- 
quity are  not  to  be  met  with  elsewhere,  except  two  in  Scotland, 
and  two  in  Hindostan.  They  are  built  of  stone,  and  when  seen 
at  a  distance,  look  like  lofty  chimneys,  or  shot  towers.  Some 
of  them  are  over  a  hundred  and  twenty  feet  high,  and  from 
forty  to  fifty  feet  in  circumference.  They  all  resemble  each 
other,  and  appear  as  if  built  by  the  same  hands.  The  door,  or 
aperture,  is  generally  eight  or  ten  feet  from  the  ground,  and  at 
the  top,  all  of  them  that  are  perfect  have  four  windows,  opening 
toward  the  four  cardinal  points.  No  true  idea  of  the  time 
when  these  towers  were  built  has  as  yet  been  arrived  at,  only 
that  they  have  existed  from  a  very  remote  age.  It  is  quite 
plain  they  were  not  erected  by  the  Danes,  as  some  have  sup- 
posed, for  they  are  to  be  found  where  the  Danes  never  gained 
a  footing;  nor  were  they  raised  for  bell-towers  for  spireless 
churches,  for  in  tlie  top  there  is  no  room  for  a  bell  to  swing. 
Nor  were  they  built  for  beacons,  for  many  of  them  are  in  the 
lowlands.     Another  theory  is,  and  one  which  is  not  without  a 


The   Vale  of  Aioca.  85 

sliadow  of  reason,  tliat  they  were  intended  as  sanctuaries  for 
the  preservation  of  tlie  sacred  fire,  in  tlie  days  of  the  Piioene- 
cians.  Mr.  Thomas  Moore  is  an  advocate  of  this  theory.  He 
says,  "  as  the  worship  of  fire  is  known,  unquestionably,  to  liave 
formed  a  part  of  the  ancient  religion  of  tlie  country,  the  notion 
that  these  towers  were  originally  fire-temples,  appears  the  most 
'jirobable  of  any  that  have  yet  been  suggested.  The  part  of  the 
(Persian)  temple  called  the  Place  of  Fire,  is  accessible  only  to 
the  priest ;  and,  on  the  supposition  that  our  towers  were, 
in  like  manner,  temples  in  which  the  sacred  flame  was  kept  free 
from  pollution,  the  singular  circumstance  of  the  entrance  to 
them  being  rendered  so  difficult,  by  its  great  height  from  the 
ground,  is  at  once  satisfactorily  explained  ;"  and  tradition  asserts 
that,  "at  daybreak,  the  priests  of  the  fire-worshipers  used  to 
mount  *to  the  top  of  the  tower,  and  cry,  'Baal,  Baal,  Baal!'  to 
the  four  quarters  of  tlie  compass,  by  way  of  announcing  the 
arrival  of  the  sun,  and  summoning  the  faithful  to  prayer." 
Another  theory  is,  that  they  are  monuments  raised  over  the 
dead,  for  it  is  afliirmed  on  good  authority,  that  in  all  of  them, 
that  have  been  explored,  human  bones  have  been  found  under 
the  foundation.  But  none  of  these  theories  are  satisfying,  and 
it  yet  remains  for  some  one  to  solve  the  mystery. 

Glendelough  Round  Tower  is  one  of  the  most  perfect  on  the 
island.  It  stands  near  the  seven  churches,  in  tiio  Vale  of  Avoca, 
and  has  an  altitude  of  one  hundred  and  ten  feet,  and  aI)out  fifty- 
one  in  circumference.  It  is  now  surrounded  by  graves  and 
grave-stones.  This  old  burying-ground  is  held  in  great  rever- 
ence by  the  Romanists,  because  Saint  Kevin  is  said  to  have 
prayed  to  Heaven,  that  all  buried  within  the  compass  of  the 
seven  churches  should  1)0  saved,  or,  at  least,  dealt  favorably 
with  on' the  other  side  ! 


"  I  saw  an  aged  beggar  in  my  walk, 
And  he  was  seated  by  the  highway  side.' 

X. 


l<4^ 


Glimpses    or'  Ireland. 

By  Mc  and  O,  you'll  surely  know, 
Trae  Irishmen,  they  say, 
But  if  they  lack  both  O  and  Mc, 
No  Irishmen  are  they.-^lHO». 

HO  has  not  heard  of  the  bogs  of  Ireland  ? 
In  all  i^arts  of  the  island  they  are  to  be  seen, 
iS^  and  well  that  it  is  so  ordered,  for  they  afford 
T^a-  ^"  ^  cheap,  healthful  and  pleasant  fuel  for  the 
^''-il  poor.  It  is  said,  if  all  the  bogs  in  Ireland  Avere 
^  brought  together,  they  wovild  cover  a  space  of 
•  over  three  millions  of  acres.  The  word  "bog"  is 
Irish,  and  means  soft,  marshy  or  swampy.  They  are 
not  always  situated  in  low  lands,  a'?  some  suppose,  for  often 
they  are  to  be  me^  with  on  the  tops  of  hills  and  mountains. 
There  are  two  kinds  of  bog,  the  wet  and  the  dry,  and  these 
are  of  all  depths,  from  a  few  inches,  to  thirty  or  forty  feet. 
In  the  lowlands,  the  arable  ground  comes  close  to  the  edgo  of 


Glimjiscs  of  Ireland.  87 

the  peat,  and  sometimes  covers  it  for  acres  around.  It  is  quite 
common,  in  some  places,  when  the  bog  proper  is  used  up,-  to 
see  the  farmer  digging  down  for  several  feet  through  the  soil, 
in  land  adjacent  to  the  bog,  for  the  hidden  treasure.  In  many 
parts  of  Ireland,  particularly  the  north,  the  bogs  have  been 
used  up,  and  the  people  are  now  compelled  to  burn  coal. 

Many  theories  have  been  advanced  to  account  for  the  for- 
mation of  these  bogs.  Borne  think  that  the  land  they  cover 
was  originally  a  dense  lorest,  and  that  tlie  moss  called  Sphag- 
num palitstre,  which  IS  more  abunciant  than  all  the  other  species, 
crept  over  the  ground,  and  prevented  the  growth  of  all  the 
other  kinds  of  vegetation.  In  the  coiu't^e  of  time,  the  forest 
trees  decayed  and  fell,  and  were  soon  covered. over  by  this 
moss,  which  grows  higher  and  higher  from  year  to  year,  the 
new  growth  building  upon  the  old,  and  now,  after  the 
lapse  of  centuries,  we  have  the  result  of  this  slow  but  steady 
work  of  the  fungus  moss.  Another  theory  is,  that  during  the 
reign  of  Richard  the  Second  of  England,  it  was  discovered 
that  the  forests  of  Ireland,  were  the  strongholds  of  the  natives, 
rendering  the  island  difficult  of  oonquest.  So  the  king,  in 
order  to  have  these  strongholds  destroyed,  gave  to  all  his  Eng- 
lish subjects,  who  would  go  over  and  settle  in  Ireland,  as 
much  land  as  th&y  would  fell  the  wood  upon.  The  offer  was 
a  very  Hberal  one,  and  was  embraced  by  many,  who  in  their 
desire  to  extend  their  acres,  made  provision  for  the  future 
wants  of  Ireland.  If  this  theory  be  true,  how  shall  we  ac- 
count for  the  bogs  of  England,  France  and  America  r  In  the 
county  of  Lancaster,  England,  is  the  Chatmoss  bog,  which  is 
six  miles  long  and  three  miles  broad,  and    contains    seven 


88  RamUes  through  the   British  Isles. 

thousand  acres.  The  great  peat  marsh  of  Montoire,  in  France, 
is  said  to  have  a  circumference  of  fifty  leagues.  In  Virginia 
and  North  Carolina  are  immense  bogs,  also  in  New  England 
and  Canada. 

Another  theory  is,  that  they  were  founded  during  Noah's 
flood,  which  is  about  as  satisfactory  a  way  of  accounting  for 
them  as  the  two  former.  The  true  theory,  I  think,  has  yet  to 
be  made  known.  One  thing  in  connection  with  peat  or  bog, 
which  is  remarkable,  and  worthy  of  note,  is  its  ^>rese?'i)a^i«<3 
proxiertij.  In  all  the  bogs  of  Ireland  are  to  be  foui^d  trees  of 
different  kinds,  the  oak  and  the  fir  being  the  most  common. 
The  oak,  which,  by  some  chemical  process,  has  become  black 
as  ebony,  is  now  much  used  in  the  manufacturing  of  ladies' 
ornaments. 

Several  instances  are  on  record,  where  bodies  that  had  been 
buried  for  centuries  in  the  bogs,  when  discovered,  presented 
the  appearance  of  persons  just  deceased,  tlie  form,  hair  and 
color  of  the  skin,  as  natural  as  life.  In  the  year  1 747,  the  body 
of  .a  female  was  taken  from  a  bog  in  Lincolnshire.  Uj)on  the 
feet  were  shoes  or  sandals,  each  cut  out  of  a  single  piece  of  hide, 
and  fastened  around  the  ankle  with  an  iron  pike.  Implements 
of  warfare  and  husbandry,  also  the  bones  of  animals,  of  which 
no  mention  has  been  made  in  history  or  tradition,  have  been 
discovered. 

Ireland  seems  actually  filled  with  beggars ;  one  Avould  suppose 
that  as  the  work  of  emigration  has  been  going  on  for  over  fifty 
years,  it  would  now  be  pretty  well  cleared  of  them,  but  this  is 
not  so.  They  meet  you  wherever  you  go,  on  every  street,  walk, 
and  highway,  and  such   beggars  as  are  no  whei-c  else  to  be 


Glimpses  of  Ireland.  89 

seen — so  ragged,  and  so  importunate,  that  they  seldom  fiul  to 
call  out  from  every  stranger,  feelings  of  pity  and  compassipn 
Khol,  tlio  German  writer,  lias  so  graphically  and  truthfully 
p  ctured  the  customs  of  the  Irish  poor,  that  to  attempt  better- 
ing it,  would  be  simply  absurd.  "As  an  Irishman  seems  to 
live  in  a  house  as  long  as  it  rema.ns  habitable,  and  then  aban- 
dons it  to  its  fate,  so  he  drags  the  same  suit  of  clothes  about 
with  him  as  long  as  the  threads  will  hold  together.  In  other 
countries  there  are  poor  people  enough,  who  but  seldom 
exchange  their  old  habilaments  for  new,  but  then  they  endeavor 
to  keep  their  garments,  old  as  they  are,  in  a  we  iralale  condi- 
tion. The  poor  Russian  peasant,  compelled  to  do  so  by  his 
climate,  sews  patch  upon  patch  to  his  sheepskin  jacket,  and 
even  the  poorest  will  not  allow  his  nakedness  to  peer  through 
the  apertiu-es  of  his  vestment,  as  is  frequently  seen  in  Ireland, 
among  those  who  are  far  above  the  class  of  beggars.  In  no 
country  is  it  held  di- graceful  to  wear  a  coat  of  a  coarse  tex- 
ture, but  to  go  about  in  rags  is  nowhere  allowed  but  in  Ireland, 
except  to  those  whom  the  extreme  of  misery  has  plunged  so 
deeply  into  despair,  that  they  lose  all  thought  of  decorum. 
In  Ireland,  no  one  appears  to  feel  offended  or  surprised  at  the 
sight  of  a  naked  elljow  or  bare  leg. 

"  There  is  something  quite  peculiar  in  Irish  rags.  So  thor- 
oughly worn  away,  so  completely  reduced  to  dust  upon  a 
human  body,  no  such  are  elsewhere  to  bo  seen.  At  the  elbows, 
and  at  all  the  other  corners  of  the  body,  the  clothes  hang  like 
the  drooping  petals  of  a  faded  rose  ;  the  edges  of  the  coat  are 
formed  into  a  sort  of  fringe,  and  often  it  is  quite  impossible 
to  distinguish  the  inside  from  the  outside  of  the  coat,  or  the 


90  Rainhk's  ihrou(jh  the  IJritinh  Ides. 

sleeves  from  the  body.  The  legs  and  arms  are  at  last  unable 
to  find  their  accustomed  way  in  and  out,  so  that  the  drapery 
is  every  morning  disposed  after  a  new  fashion,  and  it  might 
appear  a  wonder  how  so  many  varied  fragments  are  held  to- 
gether by  their  various  threads,  were  it  not  perfectly  a  matter 
of  indifference,  whether  the  coat  be  made  to  serve  for  breeches. 


or  the  breeches  for  coat.  What  in  the  eyes  of  a  stranger  gives 
so  ludicrous  an  effect  to  the  rags  of  an  Irish  peasant,  is  the 
circumstance  that  his  national  costume  is  cut  after  the  fashion 
of  our  gala  dress,  of  the  coats  worn  among  us  at  balls  and  on 
state  occasions.  The  humbler  classes,  with  us,  wear  either 
straight  frock  coats,  or  when  at  work,  short  round  jackets.     In 


Glimpses  of  Ireland.  91 

Belgium,  France,  and  some  other  countries,  tlie  working  men 
have  a  very  suitable  costume  in  their  Nouses,  and  a  very  simil3,r 
garment,  the  smock  frock,  is  worn  in  most  of  the  rural  districts 
in  England.  Paddy,  on  the  other  hand,  seems  to  have  thought 
the  blouse,  or  short  jacket,  not  elegant  enough  for  him,  so  he 
has  selected  for  his  national  costume,  the  French  company 
dress  coat,  with  its  high  useless  collar,  its  swallow  tail  hauging 
down  belund,  and  the-  breast  open  in  front.  With  this  coat  he 
wears  short  knee  breeches,  with  stockings  and  shoes,  so  that, 
as  far  as  the  cut  of  his  clothes  is  concerned,  he  appears  always 
in  full  dress,  like  a  rale  gciitlemcm.  Now,  it  is  impossible  tliat 
a  working  man  could  select  a  costume  more  unsuitable  to  him, 
or  more  absurd  to  look  upon.  It  affoi-ds  no  protection  against 
the  weather,  and  is  a  constant  hindrance  to  him  in  his  work, 
yet  it  is  genertdly  prevalent  through  the  island.  It  is  said 
that  a  mass  of  dress-coats  are  constantly  imported  from  Eng- 
land, where  the  working  classes  never  wear  them.  If  so,  the 
lowness  of  the  price  at  which  they  are  sold  may  have  induced 
the  Irish  peasants  to  purchase  these  cast  off  habllaments,  and, 
laying  aside  their  original  costume,  which  cannot  but  have 
been  more  suitable,  to  mount  the  dunghill  in  a  coarse  and  tat- 
tered French  ball  costume.  The  fact,  however,  is,  that  most 
of  these  coats  are  not  imported,  but  are  made  in  the  country 
of  a  coarse  gray  cloth  called  '  frieze,'  from  which  the  coats 
themselves  derive  the  name  of  "fi-ieze  coats.'  It  is  only  on 
Sunday,  and  among  the  wealthier  peasants,  that  the  frieze 
coat  is  seen  in  its  complete  form,  with  four  buttons  behind, 
and  six  in  front.  On  working-days,  not  only  the  buttons  are 
wantinfr,  but  the  whole  gear  resolves  itself  ihto  that  indescrib- 


92  Rambles  through  the  British  Isles. 

able  condition,  of  whicli  I  have  endeavored  to  communicate 
some  notion.  Often  the  one-half  of  the  swallow-tail  is  gone, 
and  the  other  half  may  be  seen  drooping  in  widowed  sorrow 
over  its  departed  companion,  whom  it  is  evidently  prepared  to 
follow  at  no  very  distant  day.  It  seems  never  to  occur  to  the 
owner,  when  one  of  these  neglected  flaps  hangs  suspended,  only 
by  a  few  threads,  that  half  a  dozen  stitches  would  renew  its 
connection  with  the  parent  coat,  or  that  one  bold  cut 
would,  at  all  events,  i)ut  it  out  of  its  lingering  misery.  No, 
morning,  after  morning,  he  draws  on  the  same  coat,  with  the 
tail  drooping  in  the  same  pity-inspiring  condition,  till  the 
doomed  fragment  drops  at  last  of  its  own  accord*  and  is  left 
lying  on  the  spot  where  it  fell. 

"The head  gear  harmonizes  with  the  ball-room  suit.  Paddy 
scorns  to  wear  a  waterproof  cap,but  in  its  place  he  dons  a  strange 
caricature  of  a  beaver  or  silk  hat,  that  many  a  time  and  oit- 
how  often  heaven  alone  knows — has  been  reduced  to  a  com- 
plete state  of  solution  by  the  rain,  and  then  been  allowed  to 
dry  again  into  -some  new  and  unimagined  shape.  How  mil- 
lions of  working  men  can  have  endured,  for  so  many  years,  to 
wear  so  inconvenient  and  absurd  a  head-dress,  is  quite  incon- 
ceivable to  me,  and  utterly  irreconcilable  to  that  sound,  com- 
mon sense  by  which  the  masses  are  generally  characterized. 
Paddy,  it  must  be  owned,  pinches  and  flattens  and  twists  the 
uncomfortable  appendage  into  a  fashion  of  his  own.  He 
dashes  up  the  brim  away  from  his  face  in  front,  while  behind 
it  soon  hangs  in  festoon  fashion.  The  crown  in  time  falls  in, 
but  being  deemed  an  important  part  of  the  concern,  is  kept  in 
its  place  for  some^time  longer  by  the  aid  of  a  packing  thread. 


GUm])S('s  of  Ireland.  93 

The  crown  goes,  liowevtr,  at  last,  and  the  hat,  one  would  then 
suppose,  would  be  deemed  useless ;  no  such  thing,  the  owner 
Avill  coutinue  to  wear  it  for  a  year  or  two  afterwards,  by  way 
of  ornament.  It  is  impossible  for  a  stranger  to  see  a  peasant 
at  his  work,  thus  accoutred,  like  a  decayed  dancing  master,  and 
not  be  tempted  to  laugh  at  so  whimsical  an  apparition  :  I  say 
Avhimsical,  for  in  his  deepest  misery  Paddy  has  always  so  much 
about  him  that  i3  whimsical,  that  you  can  sc.ircely  help  laugh- 
ing, even  when  your  heart  is  bleedmg  for  him." 

Pauperism  is  popular  in  Ireland,  and  begging  is  not  looked 
upon  as  disgraceful.  The  cruel  treatment  which  many  of  the 
peasants  receive  from  the  hand  of  the  landlord,seems  to  be  reason 
and  license  enough  why  they  should  present  themselves  in  the 
most  squalid  and  frightful  forms  before  the  public. 

"Workhouses,  and  poor  farms  have  accomplished  but  little 
for  Ireland,  and  there  is  no  sight  so  hated  and  detested  by  the 
beggars  as  that  of  oneot  these  institutions.  Such  houses  have 
a  language  which  is  well  understood  by  the  ijoor:  they  speak 
first  of  all,  of  a  good  washing  and  scrubbing,  of  clean  "cloth- 
ing, of  regular  habits,  of  labor  for  the  strong  and  able-bodied — 
and  therefore  they  arc  loathed  by  the  pauper,  who  has  become 
wedded  to  his  unwashed  state,  his  rags,  and  his  idle  life. 


^mMmimm^'^ 


^—-i^^^ 


I..:' 


''/^^m'i*id)«SfMI!  "'iii  \V*'t!;-* 


XI. 

My  Childhood  Hojie. 

This  fond  attachment  to  the  well-known  place, 
"VYlience  first  wu  started  into  life's  long  race, 
Maintaining  its  hold  with  such  unfailing  sway. 
We  feellt  e'en  In  age,  and  at  our  latest  day.  — Cou-pc 


PJ^-'^/r^^o^oyvgOME  is  a,  word  we  all  love.  Home  of  our 
'/^"y-^^'^^^  childhood,  our  early  home.  How  affection 
M^S^r^^fesV  clings  to  its  memories !  The  picture  of  its 
"^■'  "'(^ );  fe  quiet  surroundings  is  ever  refreshing.  We 
remember  the  briglit  faces,  w^ldch  made  sunshine 
for  us;  the  windows  through  wdiich  we  first 
looked  out  upon  the  world  ;  the  scenery  that  painted 
its  bright  colors  upon  the  canvas  of  our  youthful 
minds ;  the  hills  and  valleys,  lakes  and  rivers ;  the  open  field 
and  shadowy  woodland,  the  oj'chard  and  garden,  where  we 
were  wont  to  gambol,  the  blazing  fire,  the  evening  tale,  the 
well-worn  Bible,  and  its  companion  in  years — the  hymn-book ; 


96  RamUes  through  the  Britkh   Isles. 

tlie  devotions  oflered  at  the  family-altar,  the  lessons  of  instruc- 
tion, the  social  gathering,  and  the  walk  to  church,  are  images 
that  live  in  memory — they  follow  us  into  the  busy  cares  of  lite, 
making  sunshine  all  along  our  pilgrimage-journey! 

"  The  free,  fair  homes  of  England 
Long,  long  in  hut  and  hall. 
May  hearts  of  native  proof  be  rear'd, 

To  guard  each  hallowed  wall  I 
And  green  forever  he  the  groves, 
And  bright  the  flowery  sod. 
Where  first  the  child's  glad  spirit  loves 
Its  country  and  its  God  I " 

No  one  but  he  who  has  been  away  from  the  home  of  his 
childhood,  and  again  returns,  after  an  absence  of  many  years, 
can  fully  realize  the  varied  emotions  that  rise  in  the  breast,  on 
visiting  the  time-honored  spot — emotions  too  big  for  utterance 
well  up  within  the  soul  while  gazing  on  the  old  familiar  scenes 
of  by-gone  days.  Having  gazed  at  the  many  memorable  places, 
in  and  around  Londonderry,  and  the  Giant's  Causeway, 
I  turned  my  face  homeward.  The  morning  was  clear  and 
pleasant,  and  the  ride  from  the  Causeway  to  Port  Rush,  xia 
jaunting-car,  braced  me  up  for  the  journey  of  the  day.  The 
country  between  Port  Rush  and  Belfast,  is  rich  in  pleasing- 
scenery.  Every  two  or  three  miles  of  the  waj^,  we  passed 
through  a  little  village  or  town,  and  after  a  brief  stop,  out 
again  among  the  green  and  golden  fields — many  of  which 
seemed  cultivated  with  the  care  of  a  garden.  Now  we  pass  a 
handsome  cottage  or  farm-house,  looking  jjrosperity,  and  anon 
a  costly  mansion,  speaking  cf  luxury  and  ease,  wliile  here  and 
there  among  the  hills  and  on  the  roadside,  ajipeared  huts  as 


Ml/   Childhood  Home.  07 

miserable  looking',  as  were  needed,  to  make  up  a  varied 
picture. 

Near  Belfast,  we  pai^sed  bj'  one  of  the  largest  lakes  in  tlic 
British  Isles — Lough  Neagh.  It  is  said  to  be  fifteen  Ii'isli 
miles  in  length,  and  nine  in  breadth.  It  is  surrounded  by  live 
of  the  wealthiest  counties  of  Ireland,  and  were  it  not  for  the 
marshes  by  which  it  is  beset  on  every  side,  might  be  called 
l)cnutiful.  Many  curious  and  note-worthy  traditions  are  held 
in  relation  to  the  origin  of  this  lake.  One  is,  that  in  the  sixth 
century  an  earthquake  threw  up  a  barrier  of  rock  in  the  river 
Toome,  which  stopped  the  flow  of  the  wa!er,  causing  it  to  over- 
flow, and  so  forming  the  Lough.  Another  is,  that  it  is  the  work 
of  the  renowned  Finn  McCool,  who  for  some  cause  not  known, 
scooped  out  a  handful  of  earth,  and  cast  it  into  the  sea.  Thus 
he  became  at  once  the  father  of  Lough  Neagh,  and  the  builder 
of  the  Isle  of  Man  ! 

The  third  theory  is,  that  Saint  Patrick,  having  bestowed 
miraculous  healing  virtue  to  the  water  of  a  certain  well,  which 
Avas  free  to  all  who  complied  with  the  condition  of  keeping  it 
covered  with  a  flat  stone,  it  so  happened,  on  one  occasion, 
that  an  unfortunate  woman  failed  to  comply  with  tlie  said 
saint's  request,  and  in  consequence,  the  waters  burst  out  and 
followed  her  just  the  length  of  the  lake,  when  she  becoming 
exhausted  fell,  and  was  overtaken  by  the  angry  element,  which 
gave  her  a  watery  grave,  and  at  the  same  time  a  lasting  monu- 
ment. 

Another  theory  is,  that  where  is  now  the  lake,  once  stood  a 
flourishing  city,  in  which  were  many  churches  and  round 
towers,  which  on  a  certain  night  disappeared,  the  lake  taking 


98  Ramhles  through  the   British  Isles. 

its  place.     This  legend  has  been  embodied  in  verse  by  the  Ii-ish 
bard,  Mr.  Thomas  ]\Ioore : 

"  On  Lough  iSTeagh's  'banks,  as  the  fisherman  strays, 
When  the  clea'',  cold  eve's  reclining, 
He  sees  the  round  towers  of  other  days, 
In  the  waves  heneath  him  shining." 

The  evening  shades  were  thickening  into  night,  just  as  I 
came  in  sight  of  the  natal  cottage.  Every  thing  was  still 
and  quiet — ^mt  my  heart.  The  hour  for  slumber  had  fully 
come,  and  yet  my  aged  parents  still  lingered  around  the 
blazing  fire,  long  past  their  accustomed  hourfor  retiring;  they 
could  not  tell  why,  until  I  entered — when  the  cause,  with  them, 
was  clear  as  noon-day.  Tlie  scene  which  took  place  on 
going  into  the  house  beggars  descriiJtion.  I  can  only  compare 
it  with  the  reception  given  to  the  wanderer  of  old.  The  arms 
of  love  were  extended,  the  fatted  calf  was  killed,  joy  became 
vocal,  feasting  and  songs  of  gratititde  filled  the  old  mansion. 

"  'Tis  sweet  to  hear  the  watch-dog's  honest  "bark, 

Bay  deep-raouth'd  welcome  as  we  draw  near  home ! 
'Tis  sweet  to  know  there  is  an  eye  will  mark 
Our  coming,  and  look  brighter  when  we  come." 

Near  my  early  home  is  the  town  of  Newry.  Tliis  iDlace  is 
supposed  to  have  derived  its  name  from  the  numerous  yew- 
trees,  which  once  adorned  it — 7ui  yur,  the  yew-tree — from  which 
came  "  the  newries,"  and  lastly  Newry.  In  enterprise  it 
stands  next  to  Belfast,  and  is  situated  at  the  head  of  Carling- 
ford  Bay ;  on  the  east  of  it  are  the  Mourne  Mountains,  keeping 
watch,  and  on  the  west,  the  counties  Louth  and  Armagh,  both 
rich  in  picturesque  scenery.     Tlie  population  of  Newry  is  about 


My   Childhood  Rome.  99. 

twenty  thousand— half  of  which  is  Protestant.  IMuch  of  (lie 
city  is  built  on  low  ground,  and  when  the  we:itiu;r  is  d:inip  or 
rainy — which  is  the  case  about  two-thirds  of  the  time — the 
streets  seem  to  call  for  the  labor  of  a  scavenger  at  every  cross- 
ing. Doubtless  this  was  the  condition  of  things  at  the  time 
Dean  Swift  visited  the  place ;  at  any  rate,  we  think  he  must 
have  felt  much  out  ot  sorts  with  the  city  or  people,  or  he  never 
would  have  written  the  couplet, 

"  High  church,  and  low  stecjilo, 
Dirly  streets,  and  proud  people." 

A  few  miles  from  Newry  down  the  l.)ay,  is  situated  the  New- 
port of  Ireland — cahed  Warren  Point.  This  is  the  most  popular 
watering-place  in  the  North.  Its  surroundings  are  very 
attractive,  and  do  not  fail  to  call  out,  during  the  summer 
months,  a  full  quota  from  city,  hamlet,  town,  and  country. 

A  little  f  irther  east,  lying  in  the  heel  of  the  bay,  is  the  little 
village  of  Rosstrevor,  calmly  resting  under  the  shadow  of  Slicve 
Donard.  Here  is  the  Ross  monument,  a  quaint  obelisk,  erected 
to  the  memory  of  General  Ross,  a  distinguished  officer  in  the 
American  war  of  1812,  who  fell  in  a  battle  near  the  city  of 
Baltimore. 

One  of  the  pleasantest  days  of  my  stay  in  Ireland,  was  spent 
on  the  mountain  which  overhangs  Rosstrevor.  For  my  especial 
benefit,  a  pic-nic  party  was  arranged,  by  my  Newry  friends — 
cousins,  A.  D.  G.  H.  L.,  &c.,  and  at  quite  an  early  hour  in  the 
day,  two  parties  might  haye  been  seen  apiiroaching  the  quiet 
village — one  by  boat  and  the  other  b}'  jaunting-car.  At  the 
base  of  the  mountain  the  parties  met,  and  in  company  began 
the  journey  to  the  airy  height.  The  mountain  is  covered  with  a 


100  RambUs  through  the  British  Isles. 

dense  forest,  two-thirds  of  the  way  up,  so  that  our  walk  was 
under  shadowy  trees,  of  almost  every  species  common  to  the 
island. 

"  I  have  loved  the  rural  walk  through  lanes 
Of  grassy  swath  close  cropt  by  nibbling  sheep." 

Before  we  reached  that  part  of  the  mountain  where  the 
canopy  of  trees  would  no  longer  be  over  us,  we  rested  on  a 
beautiful  mossy  patch  of  ground,  in  the  center  of  which  was 
■  spread  out  a  snow-white  cloth,  and  upon  it  lay  temptingly 
arranged  all  the  luxuries  of  the  season.  After  partaking  of  the 
sumptuous  repast,  we  continued  our  journey  toward  the  sum- 
mit. Soon  we  reached  the  object  of  greatest  attraction  on  the 
mountain,  "  Cloughmore." 

This  is  an  immense  block  of  granite,  of  perhaps  one  hundred 
tons  weight,  and  is  thought  to  have  had  something  of  a  place 
in  Druidical  rites,  in  the  years  of  the  past.  How  it  came  to 
occupy  its  present  position,  is  somewhat  a  mystery.  Tliat  it 
could  have  been  placed  where  it  now  stands,  by  the  power  of 
man,  is  beycmd  probability — a  probability  which  none  but  the 
Ii-ish  could  think  possible.  But  as  all  the  wonders  of  Ireland 
are  supposed  to  have  been  brought  abput  by  the  giants,  so  tra- 
dition says  that  Finn  McCool,  having  been  challenged  by  a  big 
Highland  giant  to  fight,  accepted,  and  longed  for  the  day  to 
come,  when  he  should  be  after  giving  broken  bones  to  the 
kilted  upstart.  The  day  on  which  they  were  to  meet  having 
come,  the  Scotch  giant  was  observed  by  Finn  from  a  neighbor- 
ing hill,  walking  about  on  Slieve  Donard,  in  full  readiness  for 
the  work  for  which  he  crossed  the  channel.  Before  crossing 
the  Carlingford  Bay  Avhich  lay  between,  them,  Finn  picked  up 


My  Childhood  Home.  101 

"  Clonuhmore,"  which  to  him  -was  but  a  pebble,  and  flung  it  at 
his  loe,  but  not  being  a  good  marksman,  the  stone  did  not 
strike  the  Highlander,  but  fell  at  his  feet,  on  the  spot  where  it 
now  lies.  At  this  act  of  McCool's,  the  Scottish  giant  aban- 
doned the  field,  and  hastened  back  to  the  shelter  of  his  own 
native  hills. 

Tills  '•  Cloughmorc,"'  or  "  big  stone,"  as  tlie  meaning  of  the 
word  imports,  is  visited  almost  every  day  during  tlie  summer 
months  by  pic-nic  and  other  pleasure-seeking  parties,  and  here 
many  a  gentle  word  has  been  breathed  into  lady's  ear  from  the 
days  of  "auld  lang  syne." 

By  the  hands  ot  visitors  and  tourists,  the  old  stone  has  been 
shamefully  marred  and  scarred.  On  its  sides  are  names  and 
dates  enough  to  fill  a  book. 

It  is  said  of  Bonaparte,  when  on  a  visit  to  the  picture- 
gallery  of  Soult  with  D'enon,  he  was  struck  with  one  of 
Eaftaelle's  pictures,  which  D'enon  complimented  with  the  term 
"immortal."  "How  long  may  it  last?"  asked  Napoleon. 
"  Well,  some  four  or  five  hundred  years  longer,"  said  D'enon. 
"Belle  immortalite ! "  said  Bonaparte,  disdainfully,  and  so  of 
the  immortality  which  men  gain  by  carvias  their  names  upon 
" Cloughmore,"  it  may  be  said,  "Belle  immortalite!' 


S^' 


^- 


^1%' 


:i 


XII. 

Ieelaxd  Mm  IHE  Irish. 

The  harp  that  once  through  Tara's 
The  soul  of  music  shed, 
Now  hangs  as  mute  on  Tara's  walls, 
As  if  that  soul  were  fled.    — Moore. 


s^'Ty^l^'^C^  lAIE  and  space  will  not  permit  me  to  enter  into 
^ '  ^'^^raf -Aj. f  a  lengthy  £yeo<?rai:)hical  description  of  Irelnud. 
.i'<^s^:^iy~4i^    Its  mountains  and  valleys 


f^fyj  subjects   of 


its  lakes  and  rivers, 
are  sulijects  of  world-wide  notoriety.  But 
more  importance  call  us  away  from 
u''-<a^  these  scenes,  which  under  other  circumstances,  we 
mi<2:ht  Imger  around  with  interest  and  delight. 
6r^^  ©  In  size,  Ireland  is  about  as  large  as  the  State  of 
Maine,  and  in  population  it  is  equal  witli  tlie  States  of  JSTew  York, 
Pennsylvania  and  New  Jersey,  all  taken  together.  In  beauty 
of  scenery  it  is  not  surpassed  by  any  portion  of  the  world,  of 
the  same  size,  and  seems  to  have  been  designed  by  the  Creator 


Ireland  and  the  Irish.  103 

to  be  a  garden  of  plenty,  the  scat  of  \\\<9tc  than  mortal  hapiii- 
ness.  The  climate  is  mild,  and  were  it  not  for  the  superabun- 
dance of  moisture,  might  be  called  pleasant.  One  great  advan- 
tage, however,  growing  out  of  the  dam^wiess,  is  that  it  causes 
the  pasturage  to  remain  luxuriant  and  green,  almost  all  the  year, 
from  which  tact  has  spnmg  the  well  deserved  name  of  "Emer- 
ald Isle." 

"When  Erin  first  rose  from  the  dark,  swelling  flood, 
God  bless' d  the  grten  island,  "  lie  saw  it  was  good." 
The  Emerald  of  Europe,  it  sparkled,  it  shone, 
In  the  ring  of  this  world,  the  most  precious  stone." 

The  American  farmer  will  be  astonished  at  the  slowness  with 
which  wheat  and  oats  ripen  in  Ireland.  There  they  sow  their 
wheat  in  November,  and  their  oats  about  February,  yet  it  is 
not  till  the  middle  of  September  that  they  think  ol  getting  in 
their  wheat  harvest ;  their  oats  are  still  later. 

One  source  of  wonderment  to  the  European  in  America,  is 
the  quickness  of  vegetation.  Here  the  grain  seems  to  spring 
up  in  a  night,  and  almost  as  soon  as  the  snow  is  gone,  our  har- 
vest is  on  hand.  There  is  also  a  quickness  and  go-abeaditive- 
ness  about  the  American  people,  which  is  not  to  be  found  about 
any  of  the  Europeans !  With  us  boys  grow  into  young  men, 
and  girls  become  young  women,  sooner  than  in  any  of  the  old 
countries.  "  Go  it  while  you  arc  young,  for  you  can't  go  it 
when  you  are  old,"  is  the  motto,  and  tliis  is  often  too  true,  lor 
but  few  live  to  be  old  who  go  it  when  they  are  young  ! 

In  Ireland  the  people  are  divided  into  four  classes — the 
landed  proprietor,  the  first  rate  farmer,  the  second  rate  farmer, 
and  the  laborer.  The  first  class  do  not  associate  with  the  sec- 
ond, nor  the  second  with  the  third,  nor  the  third  with  the  fourth. 


104  Rambles  throuyh  the   British  Isles. 

The  poor  man  always  remains  poor,  and  the  rich  man  always 
remains  rich.  The  first  class,  are  the  large  landed  proprietors, 
whose  forefathers,  by  the  unparalleled  despotic  act  of  Henry 
VIII.,  received  their  possessions  without  money  and  with- 
out price.  Facts  will  bear  me  out  in  saying  that  nineteen 
twentieths  of  the  land  in  Ireland  is  held  by  the  descendants  of 
those  who  could  show  no  right  or  title  to  it  whatever,  and  who 
drain  the  land  of  its  life-blood,  by  living  and  spending  their 
money  in  foreign  countries.  Until  some  change  is  made  in  ref- 
erence to  the  many  large  estates  held  by  the  fixvored  few,  Ire- 
land need  not  expect  to  get  rid  of  poverty,  wretchedness  and 
distress.  The  great  object  of  the  land  owner  is  to  squeeze  from 
the  ];)oor  tenant  the  greatest  pc^ssible  amount  of  rent.  This  sys- 
tem of  land  letting  is  one  of  Ireland's  greatest  curses.  It  is  bad 
in  allitsphases.  "Itputs  the  many  into  the  power  of  thefcw.  It 
takes  away  the  strongest  motives  to  industry  and  enterprise 
among  the  great  masses  of  the  people.  In  short  it  makes  serfs 
of  the  lower  classes,  delivering  them  over  into  the  hands  of 
task  masters,  and  demanding  of  them  the  full  tale  of  bricks, 
whether  the  season  furnish  them  with  the  straw  or  withhold  it," 
and  thus  the  poor  man  is  absolutely  ground  to  powder  ! 

The  second  class,  are  the  farmers  who  have  purchased  their 
lands,  also  those  who  possess  life,  or  forever  leases.  This 
class*  live  comfortably;  they  can  improve  their  j^i'^H^ei'ty, 
without  fearing  that  it  shall  pass  into  the  hands  of  another 
on  the  morrow.  They  may  build  for  themselves  pleasant 
homes,  without  dreading  the  landlord's  frown  or  jealous  eye. 
They  can  emj)loy  as  many  servants  as  they  may  need,  who  will 
be  ever  readv  to  do  their  bidding.     The  working  of  their  land 


Ireliuul  and  the  Irish.  105 

costs  but  little  ;  servant  ineii  enu  be  liiretl,  who  Avill  work  from 
six  in  the  morning  till  six  at  night,  and  board  themselves,  i'or 
hcenty-Jite  cents  per  day  ;  and  servant  women  for  half  of  this ; 
or  they  can  be  hired  lor  the  year,  men  tor  from  forty  to  fifty 
dollars  and  women  from  ten  to  twenty. 

The  third  chiss  are  the  small  farmers,  who  are  in  the  majority. 
They  have  no  leases  of  their  patches  of  land  ;  but  are  tenants, 
at  will,  and  may  be  turned  out  of  house  and  home  at  any  time 
the  landlord  may  please  ;  hence  they  have  no  ambition  to  labor 
for  anything  beyond  their  bread ;  they  simply  live  from  hand  to 
mouth,  and  have  no  desire  to  improve  their  lands  or  make  their 
homes  comfortable.  If  they  cultivate  their  farms  so  as  to  raise 
a  large  crop,  they  fear  the  rise  of  their  rents  ;  and  if  they  build 
comfortable  homes  for  their  families,  they  may  loose  them  at  the 
end  of  the  year.  No  wonder  that  so  many  of  them  live  in  pov- 
erty, for  ])overty  is  often  their  safeguard.  No  wonder  that  their 
farms  do  not  produce  more  than  half  a  crop,  and  that  they  live 
in  hovels,  many  of  which  seem  ready  to  fall  upon  their  heads 
at  any  moment. 

The  fourth  class  are  the  laborers,  who  are  not  much  worse  off 
than  those  of  the  third.  They  are  the  hewers  of  wood  and  the 
drawers  of  water,  who  manage  to  keep  soul  and  body  together, 
on  a  few  pence  per  day.  How  they  do  it,  God  only  knows — I 
do  not.  It  is  really  a  mystery,  and  can  only  be  accounted  for 
by  their  wonderful  power  of  endurance.  A  story  is  told  of  an 
Irishman  traveling  through  Scotland,  which  may  serve  to 
throw  some  hght  on  this  feature  of  the  Irish  character.  It  hap- 
pened before  the  day  of  steam  cars,  when  coaches  were  the 
popular  mode  of  conveyance.     Pat  riding  on  the  outside  of  one 


106  Ramlles  tiirou,(jh  the  British  Isles. 

of  these  vehicles,  noticed  large  posting  bills  up  here  and  there, 
on  every  promiuent  wall  and  pillar,  stating  the  dreadlul  suffer- 
ings of  the  poor,  and  appealing  to  the  public  for  relief.  At  one 
of  the  stopping  places,  Patrick  had  time  to  read  over  the  con- 
tents of  the  petition.  It  stated,  among  other  facts,  that  such 
was  the  uncommon  destitute  condition  of  the  poor,  that  many 
of  them  were  reduced,  in  some  instance,  to  "  two  meals  a  day." 
'•  Two  males  a  day  !  "  exclaimed  Pat,  "  faith,  and  myself  often 
saw  them  in  L'cland  with  only  one  male  a  day  ;  and  they  never 
put  it  into  print  for  a  curiosity.''  And  in  a  still  louder  tone,  he 
repeated :  "  Two  males  a  day  !  fax,  and  its  many  a  strappin 
fellow  is  working  on  that  same  in  jioor  Ireland.  Arrah !  then, 
sir,  do  you  see  that,"  said  he,  turning  to  a  fellow  passenger, 
•'  troth  then,  it's  long  till  they  j^ut  sich  a  postscript  at  the  begin- 
ning of  a  famine  in  Ii-eland ;  but  its  a  folly  to  talk  of  comparin 
them  with  us  at  aU.  Augh,  sure,  there  is  none  of  them  can 
stand  the  starvation  with  us  !" 

From  this  class  of  half-starved,  half-clad  men  and  women, 
who  come  flocking  to  our  shores,  mouth  after  month,  do  we  re- 
ceive our  impressions  of  "  Ireland  and  the  Iiish."  Now  this  is 
not  fair  !  These  are  but  the  serfs  of  Ireland,  and  to  judge  the 
whole  by  this  class  of  poor,  ignorant,  sadly  abused  people, 
would  not  be  doing  as  we  would  wish  to  be  doue  by.  The 
Irish  poor  are  slaves.  The  bondmen  of  our  Southern 
States  were  much  better  off  than  the  third  and  fourth  classes  of 
the  Msh.  The  only  difference  between  them  was  this,  the  South- 
ern slaves  were  generally  well  clothed  and  well  fed  ;  the  Irish 
poor  are  neither  Avell  clothed  nor  well  fed ;  the  form#  were 
bond  slaves,  the  latter  are  free.      The  Southern  slaves  had  a 


Ireland  and  the  Irish.  107 

chance  of  nmniug  away ;  many  of  the  L-ish  have  no  place  to 
ruu  to,  and  nothing  to  run  away  with.  And  the  great  wonder 
is,  how  so  many  of  them  have  managed  to  escape  fiom  theh- 
bondage  and  wretchedness. 

As  the  people  of  Ireland  are  divided  into  fom-  classes,  so  are 
theij-  houses — the  castle  or  palace,  the  handsome  or  less  preten- 
tious cottage,  and  the  rude  hut.  The  owner  of  an  estate  dwells 
in  a  large  mansion,  or  castle,  sm-rounded  l)y  the  charms  of  na- 
ture, made  more  beautiful  by  the  cultured  hand  of  the  skillful. 
The  wooded  hill-side,  the  shady  walk,  the  well-trimmed  hedge, 
the  sparkling  river,  and  glass-like  lake,  with  waterfowl  of  rare 
plumage  ;  the  orchards  filled  with  the  choicest  fruit  trees,  and. 
the  garden  comj^lete  in  every  part  ;  ornate  with  flowers  of 
Eden-like  beauty. 

The  well-to-do  farmer  lives  in  a  cottage,  or  a  two  story  house, 
in  which  is  an  entry,  or  hall,  a  large  kitchen,  a  dining  room, 
which  serves  also  as  a  sitting  room,  a  large  drawing  room  or 
parlor,  and  three  or  four  sleeping  rooms.  In  the  sm-roundings 
there  is  an  air  of  comfort,  the  shade  and  fruit  trees,  the  flower 
garden,  with  its  graveled  walks  and  flowering  shrubs,  speak  the 
language  of  culture  and  retinemcnt.  The  second-rate  farmer 
occupies  a  one  story  house,  with  one,  two,  or  three  apartments; 
it  is  usually  built  of  stone  and  covered  with  straw,  the  floor  is 
of  hard-baked  earth,  and  the  windows  are  few  and  far 
between. 

The  lahorer  lives  in  a  stUl  poorer  hut ;  it  generally  consists  of 
but  one  apartment,  which  serves  as  kitchen,  sitting  and  recep- 
tion room,  parlor  and  all !  Here  too,  living  in  good  fellowship 
with  every  member  of  the  household,  and  occupying  one  of  the 


108  Rambles  through  the  British   Isles. 

most  comfortable  corr^rs  of  the  cabin,  may  often  be  seen  the 
pet  of  the  family — I  mean  the  pig ! 


A  gentleman  one  day,  on  entering  a  cabin,  and  seeing  a  large- 
hog  occupying  one  corner  of  the  hut,  indulging  in  his  accus- 
tomed noonday  nap,  said  to  the  owner :  "  I  see  your  pig  has  got 
the  best  j)lace  in  the  house,"  "  and  why  should'nt  he,  for  he 
pays  the  rent,"  was  the  quick  and  truthful  response. 

The  high  rent  the  poor  cotter  has  to  make  up  for  his  land- 
lord, is  the  heaviest  of  his  earthly  cares,  and  the  pig  it  is  that 
must  meet  it.  Why  then  should  he  not  have  tlie  best  place  in 
the  house  ?  There  are  few,  if  any,  who  can  surpass  an  Irish- 
man in  driving  a  pig;  he  knows  the  philosophy  of  it.  So  in- 
stead of  urging  or  pushing  the  animal  forward,  Pat  attaches 
a  rope  to  one  of  his  hind  feet,  making  him  believe  he  wants 
him  to  come  back — and  the  pig  is  jiist  so  contrary  he  won't  be 
pulled  back,  not  even  by  his  best  friend,  and  so  rushes  forward 
with  a  will. 

Some  ladies  of  the  present  day  understand  the  philosophy 
of  driving,  about  as  well  as  Patrick.  But  they,  alas  !  alas  !  ex- 
periment on  a  different  kind  of  animal !  "  How  do  you  man- 
age your  husband,  Mi's.  C.  ?  Such  a  job  as  I  have  of  it  with 
Mr.  Smith  ! " 

"  Easiest  thing  in  the  world,  my  dear ;  give  him  a    twitch 


Ireland  and  the  Irish.  109 

backward  when  you  want  him  to  go  forward!  For  instance, 
you  see  to-day  I  had  a  loaf  of  cake  to  make.  Well,  do  you 
suppose  because  my  body  is  in  the  pastry  room,  my  soul  must 
be  there  too  r*  Not  a  bit  of  it !  I  am  thinking  of  all  sorts  of 
celestial  things,  all  the  while.  Now,  Mr.  C,  has  a  way  of 
bringing  me  down  in  the  midst  of  my  aerial  flights,  by  asking 
me  the  price  of  the  sugar  I  am  iising  !  Well,  you  see,  it  drives 
me  almost  Irantic,  and  when  I  woke  up  this  morning  and  saw 
this  furious  storm,  I  knew  I  had  him  on  my  hands  for  the  day, 
unless  I  managed  right ;  so  I  told  him  that  I  hoped  he  wouldn't 
go  out  to  catch  his  death  of  cold  this  weather;  that  if  heVas 
not  capable  ot  taking  care  of  himself,  I  should  do  it  for  him; 
that  it  was  very  lonesome  rainy  days ;  that  I  wanted  him  to 
stay  at  home  and  talk  with  me  ;  at  any  rate  he  must  not  go 
out — and  I  hid  his  umbrella  and  india  rubbers  ! 

"  Well,  of  course,  he  was  right  up — (just  as  I  exjiected  !)  and 
in  less  than  ten  minutes,  was  streaking  down  the  street,  at  the 
rate  of  ten  miles  an  hour !  You  see,  there's  nothing  like  un- 
derstanding human  nature."  No  young  lady  should  thuik  of 
getting  married  until  she  is  thoroughly  posted  in  this  branch 
of  education !  , 

There  is  no  reason  whatever,  why  Ireland  should  not  be  as 
prosperous  and  happy  as  her  sister  isles  A  genial  climate,  a 
productive  soil,  hills  filled  with  mineral  wealth ;  noble  rivers 
and  spacious  harbors,  inviting  the  commerce  of  the  world  ;  smil- 
ing valleys  and  verdure-crowned  mountains,  make  it  possible  for 
her  to  become  a  very  Eden.  And  just  here,  the  question  arises 
why  is  slie  "  as  celebrated  for  her  wretchedness,  as  for  her 
beauty  ?  "    In  the  words  of  Meagher,  Why  does  Ireland  appear 


110  Rambles  through  the  British   Isles. 

in  rags,  in  hunger,  and  in  sickness — sitting,  like  a  widowed 
queen,  amid  the  gray  altars  of  a  forgotten  creed,  with  two 
millions  of  her  sons  and  daughters  lying  slain  and  shroudless 
at  her  feet  ?  "  There  are  three  things  which  curse  Ireland.  The 
fii'st  is  Bomanism,  the  second  is  Intemperance,  and  the  third  is 
English  mimmle.  Ireland  once  enjoyed  a  pure  faith,and  though 
the  early  period  of  her  civil  and  ecclesiastical  history  are  some- 
what enshrouded  in  darkness,  yet  there  is  enough  to  be  gath- 
ered up  from  the  wreck  of  time's  destroying  hand  to  prove 
conclusively,  that  she  was  once  in  advance  of  England  in  civi- 
liza'tion  and  religion.  To  her  shores  came  the  rich  from  near 
and  from  far  to  obtain  that  culture  and  finish  which  their  own 
country  could  not  afford.  So  noted  was  she  for  her  good 
works,  that  she  was  designated  with  the  title,  "  Insula  Sanc- 
torum''' 

"  Once,  Erin  was  known 

As  the  joyous  home 
Of  learning,  devotion,  and  song; 

And  many-tongued  fame 

Loud  echoed  her  name, 
Thi'ough  far-remote  centuries  gone. 

"  Clear  shone  the  bright  rays. 

In  those  pagan  days, 
Of  her  piety,  faith,  and  lore ; 

Like  groat  beacon  lights. 

Along  the  dark  heights 
Of  some  rocky  and  foaming  shore." 

Long  after  the  Churches  of  Europe  had  become  corrupted  m 
doctrine,  and  yielded  ready  obedience  to  the  Church  of  Rome, 
the  Irish  Church  remained  pure,  and  was  the  last  to  submit  to 
the  Papal  yoke.    Her  members  cared  little  for  pomp  or  show, 


Inland  and  Ihc  Irinh.  Ill 

ami  wore  only  led  to  confonn  to  the  same  bj'  force.  The  vcu- 
crable  Bede,  in  writing  on  the  primitive  Church  of  Ireland, 
says,  "They  deliglited  in  such  Avorks  of  charity  and  piety  as 
they  could  learn  fi-om  the  prophetical,  evangelical,  and  apos- 
tolical writings."  The  primitive  Church  dificred  also  from  the 
Romish  Church,  "in  the  free  commanded  use  of  the  Scriptures 
— the  inculcation  of  the  doctrines  of  grace,  without  any  allusion 
to  the  mass,  transubstantiation,  purgatory,  human  merit,  or 
prayers  for  the  dead — the  marriage  of  the  clergy — the  rejection 
of  tlie  Papal  supremacy,  and  other  prominent  characteristics 
of  the  great  apostacy."  It  was  not  imtil  the  middle  of  the 
twoltth  century,  that  Ireland  was  brought  under  the  j)ower  of 
the  Roman  Pontiff.  Henry  11.  of  England,  for  love  of  power, 
submitted  to  become  the  tool  of  Poi^e  Adrian,  who  invested 
him  with  authority  to  subdue  Ireland  to  the  Romish  faith. 
This  work  Henry  accomi^lished,  and  then,  for  the  privilege 
of  establishing  himself  as  monarch,  paid  to  the  Pope  a  ,penny 
lor  each,  house,  which  money  was  called  "Peter's  Pence." 

Thus  the  religion  of  Ireland,  through  the  efforts  of  England's 
king,  was  blighted  with  a  foul  heresy,  which  has  cursed  gen- 
eration after  generation  up  to  the  present  time. 

"O'er  my  country's  sun, 

^ja  eclipse  has  come. 
And  her  ancient  glory  has  pass'd; 

Priestly  ambition 

And  superstition, 
Upon  her  deep  sliadows  have  cast." 

Romanism  is  debasing  in  all  its  tendencies ;  it  loves  darkness 
rather  than  light,  and  therefore  it  keeps  its  subjects  in 
if^norance.     Light  and  inteliigence  are  its  worst  enemies.     It  is 


112  Rambles  throiujh  the  British  Isles. 

a  cruel  monster,  a  merciless  persecutor,  a  usurpation  upon  the 
liberties  and  rights  of  the  peoi^le.  Its  teachings  are,  that  no 
faith  is  to  be  kept  with  Protestants ;  that  he  who  murders  a 
heretic  does  God  service;  that  out  of  the  Romish  Church  there 
is  no  salvation.  All  of  which,  the  poor,  misled,  ignorant 
people,  do  most  firmly  believe.  She  is  the  parent  of  all  Avick- 
edness,  the  great  educator  in  immorality.  She  is  the  license- 
vender  of  the  vilest  crimes.  She  giants  indulgences  for  the 
commission  of  murder,  adultery,  fornication,  and  other  crimes, 
and  absolves  those  who  have  been  guilty  of  them.  In  the 
"Tax-book  of  the  sacred  Roman  Chancery,"  the  sum  to  be 
paid  for  each  particular  sui  is  laid  down.  A  few  of  them  are  as 
follows : 

"  For  taking  a  false  oath  in  a  criminal  case,  nine  shillings. 

For  robbing,  twelve  shillings. 

For  burning  a  neighbor's  house,  twelve  shillings. 

For  murdering  a  layman,  seven  shillings  and  sixpence. 

For  laying  violent  hands  on  a  clergyman,  ten  shillings  and 
sixpence,"  &c. 

Who  cannot  see  in  this  devilish  device,  the  soui-ce  of  all  the 
bloody  massacres,  which  have  occurred  in  unhappy  Ireland 
during  the  last  two  centuries. 

And  who,  in  looking  at  the  school  in  which  the  poor  Irish 
have  been  brought  up,  can  help  wondering,  not  that  the  Irish 
have  so  many  faults,  but  that  they  have  been  enabled  to  retain 
so  many  virtues ! 

No  wonder  that  those  who  are  so  taught,  are  disloyal  to  all 
Protestant  government !  That  they  are  ever  ready  to  rush  into 
the  vilest  crimes  ;  that  they  are  the  poor  unfortunates  who  lill 
tlie  prison-houses  of  the  world,  and  whose  names  fill  up  the 


Ireland  and  the  Irish.  113 

many  volumes  of  criminal  statistics.  In  the  Dublin  Record  of 
March,  1869,  is  the  following  notice,  which  has  been  served  on 
various  landlords  and  tenants  in  the  Romish  districts  of  Ire- 
land, which  well  shows  the  true  spirit  of  Romanism: 

''Notice. — March,  1869. — Sir :  You  have  let  to  a  heretic,  or 
Protestant,  a  farm  in  this  part  of  the  country,  but  he  shall  never 
put  his  foot  upon  it,  or  he  will  never  leave  it  alive.  We  will 
never  allow  a  heretic  to  live  amongst  us.  So  if  he  put  his  foot 
on  these  lands,  he  will  be  shot  dead.  The  ball  is  ready  for 
him.     This  is  no  idle  threat — so  help  me  God. 

OxE  OP  THE  People." 

^  Now  this  is  the  sj^irit  of  Romanism,  not  aloue  in  Ireland,  but 
all  the  world  over.  Roman  Catholics  are  the  great  curse  of  our 
American  cities  to-day!  "True  Americans  they  can  never  be,  so 
long  as  they  acknowledge  a  higher  allegiance  to  the  mandates 
of  a  foreign  ecclesiastical  despot  at  Rome  than  they  feel  bound 
to  render  to  our  constitution  and  laws.  Though  dwelling  in 
our  midst,  they  continue  '  foreigners,'  and  the  slaves  of  that 
Roman  tyranny  which  controls  their  consciences,  and  votes ; 
willing  at  any  hour  or  emergency  to  unite  with  any  party,  that 
is  ready  to  purchase  their  support  by  concessions  to  Poi^ery. 
Declared  enemies  of  the  Bible  in  our  public  schools,  and 
banded  together  to  keep  down  the  colored  race,  whose  j)articipa- 
tion  in  the  elective  franchise,  they  know,  would  add  soon  nearly 
a  million  votes  to  sustain  Protestant  freedom  in  this  land  for- 
ever. 'By  their  fruits  ye  shall  know  them.'  Sure  enough, 
fully  does  the  rule  ajjply  to  many  of  them,  who  are  disturbers 
of  the  public  peace ;  Fenians,  rowdies,  rumsellers,  paupers, 
and  criminals  in  our  midst,  and  all  growing  from  the  bitter  root 
of  that  Popery  which  even  our  freedom  and  institutions  cannot 


114  Ramhles  through  the   British  Isles. 

conciliate  or  alter,  and  which  remains  to  us  to-day  a  source  of 
disquietude  and  danger."  The  Avhole  tendency  of  Romanism 
is  debasing  and  immoral.  Claiming  the  power  to  work  mira- 
cles, she  takes  advantage  of  the  ignorance  and  superstition  of 
the  people,  so  that  many  of  the  poor  Irish  believe,  as  firmly  as 
they  believe  in  their  existence,  that  the  "  Holy  Fathers "'  are 
very  gods!  This  is  the  monster  evil  of  Ireland — the  great 
usurper  of  the  consciences  of  the  people.  From  its  anathemas 
there  is  no  refuge,  and  from  its  decrees  there  is  no  appeal  or 
deliverance.  It  is  the  avowed  enemy  of  all  free  institutions,  the 
destroyer  of  the  intellect,  the  debaser  of  the  whole  nature,  the 
destroyer  of  public  morals,  the  ravisher  of  domestic  purity,  the 
curse  of  curses ! 

"  O  that  the  free  would  stamp  the  irapions  name 
Of  Pope  into  the  dust!  or  write  it  there, 
So  that  this  blot  upon  the  page  of  fame 

Where  as  a  serpent's  path,  which  the  light  air 
Erases,  and  the  flat  sands  close  behind  1 
Ye  the  oracle  have  heard 
Lift  the  victory -flashing^sword, 
And  cut  the  snaky  knots  of  this  foul  Gordian  word, 
"Which,  weak  itself  as  stubble,  yet  can  bind 

Into  a  mass,  irrefragably  firm, 
The  axes,  and  the  rods  which  awe  mankind." 

The  second  great  curse  of  Ireland  is  intemperance.  Dr.  Lees, 
of  London,  says,  "Ireland  has  been  a  poor  nation  for  want  of 
capital,  and  has  wanted  capital  chiefly  because  the  people  have 
preferred  swallowing  it  to  saving  it."  And  again,  "The  poor 
swallow  their  independence  in  swallowing  their  capital,  and 
along  with  that,  swallowing  those  moral  attributes  and  social 


Ireland  and  the  Irish.  115 

iafluenccs,  -vN-hereby  alone  they  rise  to  political  power,  and  so 
cease  to  be  the  lower  classes.     Liquor  is  the  great  leveler.'''' 

This  is  true !  It  is  astonishing  to  see  the  poor  Irish  peasants, 
when  they  receive  their  day  or  week's  wages,  hurry  oft",  as  fast 
as  their  legs  can  carry  them,  to  the  first  grog-shop,  there  to 
spend  their  hard-earned  pence  for  this  consuming  curse. 
Whether  it  is  from  the  drawings  of  their  own  craving-appetite, 
or  to  drown  the  cares  and  sorrows  of  their  poverty,  I  cannot 
say;  for  it  socms  that  all  classes  love  tiie  fire-water,  and  doubt- 
less many  of  them  inherit  the  appetite — they  drink  it  in  from 
their  mother's  milk. 

Their  love  for  it  is  greater  than  that  of  flither,  mother,  sister, 
wife,  child,  home,  country,  or  God,  and  is  well  illustrated  by 
the  case  of  one  who  had  been  sick  for  a  long  time,  and  Avhile  in 
that  state  would  occasionally  cease  breathing,  and  life  be 
aj^parently  extinct  for  some  time,  when  he  would  again  come 
to.  On  one  of  these  occasions,  when  he  had  just  awakened  from 
sleep,  Patrick,  who  was  watching,  asked  him,  "An'  how'll  we 
know.  Jemmy,  when  ye're  dead  ?  Ye're  afther  waking  up  ivery 
time."  "Bring  me  a  glass  of  whiskey,  and  say  to  me,  'Here's 
till  ye.  Jemmy!'  and  if  I  don't  rise  and  drink,  then  ye  may 
bury  me." 

And  so  it  may  be  taken  as  a  very  safe  rule,  that  when  an 
Irishman  won't  drink  whiskey,  he  is  dead,  and  may  be  buried ! 
Drinking  is  fashionable  in  all  parts  of  Ireland,  and  among  all 
classes,  and  not  to  take  a  little  of  the  "  creature,"  when  in  com- 
p:inj',  is  considered  an  almost  unpardonable  offense.  Tlie 
priests  drink,  and  the  people  drink,  and  here  the  adage,  "Like 
priest,  like  people,"  will  well  apply.     They  drink  when  they 


116  Rambles  throiujli  the   British  Isles. 

meet  a  friend,  they  drink  while  together,  and  it  would  be  con- 
sidered next  to  an  insult,  to  think  of  parting  without  drinking 
each  other's  health,  in  something  stronger  than  water.  They 
drink  whiskey  in  the  winter,  to  keej)  warm,  and  they  drink  it 
in  the  summer,  to  keep  cool.  They  drink  it  for  headache, 
toothache,  and  heartache.  They  drink,  and  drink,  and  still  are 
dry !  "  Oh,"  said  one,  haying  spent  his  last  penny  for  a  mouthful 
of  the  hell-drug,  "  Oh,  that  my  throat  was  a  mile  long,  that 
I  might  taste  it  all  the  way  down ! "  This  is  the  second  great 
curse  of  Ireland  and  the  Irish ! 

Now  when  we  remember  that  Patrick  is  brought  up  under 
such  circumstances,  where  he  early  learns  to  take  his  dram, 
which  in  a  few  years  becomes  dear  to  him  as  his  very  life,  need 
we  wonder — that  as  soon  as  the  poor  emigrant  cuts  loose  from 
all  his  home  influences,  especially  from  poverty,  whicli  to  an 
extent  kept  him  temperate,  and  with  money  in  his  pocket,  he 
is  cast  into  the  midst  of  temptation — that  he  falls  an  easy  prey 
to  the  enemy,  and  thus  sinks  into  the  drunkard's  grave  and 
drunkard's  hell. 

The  third  great  curse  of  Lreland  is  English  misrule.  And  yet, 
in  some  respects,  Ireland  is  better  ofi  to-day,  though  under  the 
wing  and  control  of  England,  than  she  would  be  had  she  a  king 
of  her  own,  with  Popery  in  her  midst. 

England  has  never  treated  Ireland  as  a  sister  nation,  but  as  a 
conquered  province.  Her  lands  have  been  confiscated,  her 
commerce  and  vigor  of  enterprise  crushed,  and  the  spirit  of  her 
sons  and  daughters  broken.  It  has  been  well  said  that,  "  If  it 
had  been  the  grand  object  of  the  British  Crown  and  Parlia- 
ment to  impoverish  Ireland,  and  to  perpetuate  the  bitterest 


Ireland  <i)i<l  the  Irish.  117 

hatred  towards  its  Protestant  rulers,  and  cripple  the  noble 
energies  of  its  native  character,  and  exasperate  its  religious 
bigotry  into  an  incurable  chronic  inflammation,  a  more  eflectual 
course  of  j^olicy,  to  comj^ass  those  ends,  could  scarcely  have 
been  adopted  and  pursued."' 

"With  an(.l  without  a  national  parliament,  Ireland  has  never 
been  ruled  aright.  England  has  ever  looked  upon  lier  with  a 
jealous  eye,  and  treatetl  her  with  the  hand  of  a  tyx-ant.  "With  a 
parliament,  she  was  as  powerless  as  without  one,  because  all  its 
actions  were  controlled  and  made  subservient  to  Englisli  rule. 
And  when  there  arose  up  a  few  nol^lo  spirits,  who  dared  to 
declare  what  they  thought  to  be  just  and  right,  they  were 
taken  l)y  cruel  hands,  condemned  without  just  cause,  and 
shamefully  put  to 'death. 

I  sliould  not  blame  the  Irish  patriot — who  with  eyes  closed 
to  all  the  evils  of  Papacy,  and  open  to  all  the  wrongs  doue  his 
country  liy  England — for  indulging  in  feelings  similar  to  those 
expressed  by  Shylock,  referring  to  the  "  pound  of  flesh."  the 
penalty  attached  to  Antonio's  bond..  He  m'ght  well  say,  "  It  it-' 
will  feed  nothing  else,  it  will  feed  niy  revenge.  England 
hath  disgraced  me,  and  hindered  me  of  many  millions; 
laughed  at  my  losses,  mocked  at  my  pains,  scorned  my  nation, 
thwarted  my  bargains,  cooled  my  friends,  heated  my  enemies, 
and  what's  her  reason  ?  I  am  an  Irishman !  Ilath  not  an 
Irishman  hands,  organs,  dimensions,  senses,  aflections, 
jjassions  ?  Is  he  not  fed  with  the  same  food,  hurt  with  the 
same  weajjons,  warmed  and  cooled  by  the  same  summer  and 
winter,  as  an  Englishman  is  ? 

"  If  you  stab  us,  do  we  not  bleed?     If  you  tickle  us,  do  we 


118  Baiuhus  through  the  British  Isles. 

not  laugh  ?  If  you  poison  us,  do  we  not  (lift  ?  and  if  you  wrong 
us,  shall  we  not  revenge  i  If  we  are  like  you  in  the  rest,  we  will 
resemble  you  in  that.  If  an  Irishman  wi-ong  an  Englishman, 
what  is  his  remedy  ?  Revenge  !  If  an  Englishman  wrong 
an  Irishman,  what  should  his  sufferance  be  by  English  example  ? 
Why,  revenge  !  The  villainy  you  teach  me,  I  ^ill  execute ;  it 
may  go  hard  with  me,  but  I  wiU  better  the  instruction  !  " 

Fox  has  very  forcibly  and  truthfully  said,  "To  forgive 
injuries  is  indeed  a  godlike  virtue ;  but  human  nature  has  its 
jsrinciples  stamped  by  the  Creator,  who  has  implanted  passions 
in  the  souls  of  men,  some  of  which  it  is  the  office  of  reason  and 
religion  to  watch  over  and  restrain ;  some  that  are  necessary 
even  to  the  preservation  of  the  species  or  the  individual ;  some 
that  exalt  and  dignify  the  being  within  whose  breast  they 
dweU,  and  of  these  none  are  more  nol^le  than  the  love  of  truth, 
the  love  of  freedom,  and  the  love  of  country.  Till  these  are 
extinguished  in  the  human  heart,  and  man  made  brute,  he  will 
seek  for  justice,  right,  and  independence,  by  all  the  means 
within  his  reach,  let  statesmen,  lawyers,  or  divines  say  what 
they  may.'' 

Ireland  was  brought  unuer  British  rule  h-^  force  of  arms,  and 
by  force  only  can  she  be  kept  subject.  No  moral  victory  has 
as  yet  been  achieved,  her  sjiirit  is  still  the  same — bitter, 
revengelul,  -and  ready  to  break  out  at  any  moment  into  ins\ir- 
rection  of  the  most  cruel  type.  As  a  member  of  the  United 
Kingdom,  Ireland  has  been  veryjnuch  abused,  distrusted,  and 
cruelly  wronged.  Under  the  foim  of  friendship,  she  has 
received  the  most  shameful  treatment.  Occasionally,  she  is 
visited  by  royalty,  patted  on  the  back  and  called  "  Sweet  Erin 


Irchtitd  and  the  Irish.  119 

goBragh!''''  Her  sliam  court  is  the  most  aggravutiny;  form  o{ 
dignity  and  power,  that  can  be  possibly  imagined.  Her  hiutis 
have  been  wrested  from  her,  and  are  now  parceled  out  to  her 
sons — iu  small  patches,  for  the  yearly  use  of  which  they  have  to 
pay  dearly — almost  all  th  it  the  meagre  acres  will  produce.  All 
this  is  bad,  but  when  to  this  is  added  the  fact,  that  her  people 
must  support  an  alien  church,  the  matter  is  still  worse,  and  the 
cause  ot  discontent  heigiitened  a  hundredfold. 

The  Episcopal  Church  has  been  anything  but  a  blessing  to 
Ireland.  Indeed,  it  might  well  be  called  the  "  monster  grievance," 
the  chain  and  clog  of  Protestantism,  which  has  made  L'eland 
the  most  superstitious  of  all  Roman  countries  on  the  face  of  the 
earth !  When  Henry  VIII.  dethroned  the  Pope,  and  established 
Protestantism  iil  Ireland,  his  motives  were  for  from  being  right : 
he  had  no  object  hut  political  pozcer,  and  hence  the  men  he 
placed  over  the  people  were  far  from  being  spiritual  men. 
They  were  '-blind  leaders  of  the  blind,"  and  we  do  not  at  all 
wonder,  that  both  have  fallen  into  the  ditch.  In  1615,  the 
Episcopal  Church  was  fully  established  as  the  national  church, 
and  as  such  it  has  remained  ever  since — a  space  of  over  two 
hundred  and  fifty  years. 

We  do  not  at  all  wonder,  that  so  little  has  been  done  by  the 
Establishment.  Her  ministry  were  as  little  concerned  for  the 
spiritual  welfare  of  their  peoiile,  as  for  their  temporal.  Their 
support  was  sure,  they  had  not  to  look  to  their  hearers  for  it. 
In  a  word,  they  were  men  who  loved  much  better  the  chase  of 
the  fox  than  that  of  the  devil.  A  story  is  told  of  one  of  this 
class  of  spiritual  advisers,  who  was  on  his  way  to  catch  up 
with  the  hounds,  when  he  met  a  Quaker,  and  reinins:  up  his 


120  Hambles  through  the  British  Isles. 

horse,  lie  said  :  "  Friend,  did  you  see  the  fox  ?  "  The  Quaker 
looked  at  liita  for  a  moment,  and  then  said  :  "  Friend,  if  I  was 
the  fox,  I  would  hide  where  thee  would  not  be  likuly  to  find 
me."  "  And  pray,"  said  the  li7ieal  descendant  of  the  Apostles, 
"  where  would  that  be  ?  "  "  "Well,  I  would  run  iuto  thy  study !  " 
In  the  Recorder,  a  Church  of  Enghind  paper,  of  receut  date, 
is  the  foUowiag  notice,  which  will  serve  to  show  the  sttf-sacri- 
Jicing  spirit  of  these  men — who  are  the  only  legal  successors  of 
the  Apostles.  "  A  married  clergyman  of  mature  age  (for  years 
beneficed,)  of  considerable  ministerial  experience,  delightii^g, 
and  in  a  measure  qualified,  to  teach  and  preach  Jesus  Christ ! 
is  prepared  to  undertake  a  quiet  charge,  Avhere  the  extra  ser- 
vices, if  any,  (baptism  and  burials,)  are  otherwise  provided  for ; 
the  work  not  too  onerous,  the  church  and  church  arrangements 
simple  and  genial,  and  the  congregation  moderately  intelli- 
gent. He  is  ready  to  help  a  partially  invalided  and  like 
minded  brother,  undertaking  the  part  of  church  ministration 
and  pastoral  visitation.  Locality  preferred — wild,  on  thetoast 
(if  it  may  be),  rviral  and  pretty,  with  a  few  town  conveniences, 
and  near  a  railway.  Residence  comfortable  and  unpretending ; 
due  maintenance  required."  Query :  It  half  the  population 
of  the  globe  was  made  up  of  Such  men,  how  long  would  it 
take  them  to  convert  the  other  ?  Of  their  success  in  an  aggres- 
sive movement  on  the  works  of  the  devil,  we  have  a  sad  illus- 
tration in  the  case  of  poor,  unhappy  Ireland.  How  much  have 
they  accomplished  ?  History  answers  the  question.  In  1615, 
they  were  put  in  possession  of  the  whole  field,  and  since  that 
time  what  has  been  accomplished?  Nothing.  Ah,  if  that 
were  all  the  blunder,  it  might  be  overlooked,  but  much  worse 


Ireland  and  the  Irish  121 

than  nothing  has  been  done.  Tliey  have  given  strength  to 
Popery,  and  sowed  the  seeds  of  discord,  throughout  all  parts 
of  the  island.  It  has  been  said,  "  that  if  they  had  been  all 
the  while  in  secret  alliance  with  Eome,  they  could  not  have  done 
more  to  strengthen  and  perpetuate  her  spiritual  dominion  over 
Ireland."  By  their  example,  I  verily  believe,  they  have  done 
more  to  keep  the  people  in  ignorance  and  superstition,  and  to 
bind  the  cords  of  Popery  more  securely,  than  Romanism  itself 
could  ever  have  done  without  them  ! 

In  order  to  make  men  fierce  and  savage,  you  have  but  to 
stir  up  their  base  passions ;  to  make  them  suspicious,  you  have 
but  to  show  them  that  they  can  place  no  confidence  in  you  ;  to 
make  them  crafty  and  deceitful,you  have  but  to  treat  them  with 
the  cruelty  and  contempt  of  slaves ;  but  to  ^11  forth  and 
mature  every  vice  of  fallen  humanity,  you  have  but  to  give 
them  bad  example.  This  will  do  it  when  nothing  else  will. 
It  was  for  the  loaves  and  the  fishes,  the  Established  clergy 
cared,  not  for  the  spiritual  welfare  of  the  people,  and  had  it 
not  been  for  the  northern  Presbyterians  and  Methodists,  who 
labored  against  wind  and  tide — an  endowed  church  and  a 
haughty  aristocracy — Protestantism,  to  day,  would  be  without 
a  foothold  in  Ireland.  And  yet,  these  dissenters  have  been 
looked  down  upon,  and  persecuted,  being  stigmatized  "  as  the 
weakness  and  reproach  of  the  Eeformation."  All  places  of 
honor  were  withheld  from  them  ;  they  have  had  to  worship  in 
uncomfortable  chapels,  and  in  some  places,  dare  not  even  bury 
their  dead,  without  Episcopal  permission.  In  looking  at  the 
salaries  of  many  of  the  Established  ministry,  who  can  wonder 
that  they  should  fight,  as  for  their  very  lives,  against  disen- 


122  Ramlles  through  the  British  Isles. 

dowment.  It  has  been  very  aptly  said  tliat,  "  If  tlie  definition 
of  a  good  officce,  be  '  one  with  nothing  to  do,  and  a  good  salary 
for  doing  it,'  then  the  Doctors  in  Divinity,  and  Masters  of 
Arts,  who  minister  to  the  Irish  Establishment,  are  blessed  above 
all  their  brethren."  We  really  did  not  know  the  extent  of  the 
temporal  blessings  which  attend  on  these  shepherds,  who 
watch  that  outlying  sheep-fold,  until  we  came  across  the 
Corh  Examiner,  the  other  day,  which  gave  some  spiritual  sta- 
tistics, enough  to  make  the  mouth  of  a  lazy  minister  water  to 
read  them.  This  disturber  of  the  Irish  Israel,  tells  us  that, 
within  a  few  miles  of  Youghal,  there  are  six  clergymen  to 
provide  for  the  spiritual  necessities  of  sixty  souls  in  all,  at  a 
gross  remuneration  of  some  eight  thousand  five  hundred  dol- 
lars per  annum.  These  souls  should  certainly  be  well  cared  for  ! 
They  ought  not  to  come  within  the  category  of  those  whose 
condition  Milton  laments : 

"  The  hungry  sheep  look  up  and  are  BOt  fed." 

The  Rev.  Mr.  H.,  for  looking  alter  about  a  dozen  souls,  re- 
ceives a  salary  of  three  thousand  per  year.  The  Rev.  Mr.  F., 
of  Ardagh,for  affording  spiritual  consolation  to  his  own  family 
and  their  servants  is  paid  two  thousand  four  hundred  per  year, 
and  the  Eev.  Mr.  W.  of  France,  who  is  without  church  or 
congregation  is  paid  one  thousand  four  hundred  dollars  per  an- 
num. The  Archbishop  of  Armagh,  the  primate,  is  paid  seventy- 
five  thousand  dollars  a  year ;  the  Archbishop  of  Dublin,  forty 
thousand  dollars  a  year,  and  the  Bishop  of  Cork  ten  thousand 
dollars. 

At  a  recent  meeting  he'd  in  Cork,  to  denounce  Mr.  Glad- 
stone's policy,  his  Reverence  Bishop  Gregg,  made  a  speed  i,  at 


Ireland  and  the  Irish.  123 

the  close  of  which  he  said :  "They  talk  of  Bills  and  Bills ;  but 

Billy  Gladstone  and  his  Bill  may  go  to !  "     At  which  a 

burst  of  laughter  like  the  revelry  of  pandemonium  went  up 
from  the  crowd  of  ignorant  listeners.  Doubtless  they  rejoiced 
in  the  fact,  that  they  had  a  Bisliop  who  was  not  afraid  to  use 
the  vernacular  of  the  island.  "  Jolly  companions,  every  one !  " 
It  is  thought,  that  about  one-third  of  the  Irish  Episcopal 
clergy  are  non-residents,  whose  salaries  range  from  five  thousand 
to  fifty  thousand  a  year.  These  gentry  shepherds  spend  their 
days  in  luxury  in  London,  or  on  the  Continent,  leaving  the 
sheep  under  the  care  of  some  half-starved  curate,  or  else  to  shift 
for  themselves,  which  is  about  as  Avell.  In  a  speech  of  Lord 
John  Eussell's,  delivered  in  1835,  he  said,  what  is  still  true,  there 
are  many  places  in  Ireland  "wliere  the  clergyman  and  his 
clerk,  week  after  week,  and  year  after  year,  formed  the 
whole  of  the  congregation.  Besides  the  general  injustice 
and  glaring  aljsurdity  of  this  system,  it  is  easily  proved  that 
the  maintenance  of  these  ecclesiastical  sinecures  irritates  the 
2yeople  of  Irehmd,  weakens  the  reputation  of  the  British  crown 
abroad,  and  injures  the  Protestant  religion  which  it  is  intended 
to  promote."  In  the  days  of  James  II.,  Maeaulay,  speaking  of 
the  Irish  Church,  said ;  "  It  is  the  most  absurd  ecclesiastical 
establishment  the  world  has  ever  seen."  It  is  not  at  all  won- 
derful that  with  such  a  state  of  affairs,  there  should  be  discon- 
tent in  Ireland;  and  esijecially  when  it  is  remembered  that 
these  degenerate  sons  of  the  Apostles,  this  alien  church,  are 
I  supported,  in  a  large  measure,  from  the  earnings  of  Eomanists 
and  dissenters.  Who  can  help  believing  with  the  Irish  people, 
the  fact,  that  they  have  been  cursed  with  the  most  absurd 


124  Ramhles  through  the  British  Isles. 

ecclesiastical  outrage,  -wliicli  it  was  possible  for  the  perverted 
ingenuity  of  man  to  contrive,  and  who  does  not  rejoice  in  the 
glorious  fact,  that  tlie  day  of  their  deliverance  from  this  worse 
than  Egyptian  bondage  is  already  at  hand ! 

How  could  it  be  otherwise,  that  the  poor  Irish,  looking  at 
this  minority  church,  having  as  its  members  the  wealthiest 
classes  in  the  island,  and  yet  more  richly  endowed  than  all  the 
rest,  should  hate  it  with  all  the  bias  of  their  superstition  and 
intensity  of  their  nature.  This  inequality  was  in  itself,  to  say 
nothing  about  other  grievances,  enough  to  exasperate  and 
make  mad  any  people. 

Ireland  has  a  population  of  five  million  seven  hundred  and 
ninety-six  thousand  nine  hundred  and  sixty-seven,  and  the 
Established  Church  numbers  only  six  hundred  and  mnety-three 
thousand  three  hundred  and  flfty-seven  members ;  thus  the 
Eomanists  and  Dissenters  are  forced  to  support  an  institution 
which  only  benefits  about  ticelve  out  of  every  one  hundred  of  the 
population.  The  gross  revenues  of  the  Episcopal  church,  is 
about  three  millions  five  hundred  thousand ;  the  Regium  Donum, 
which  goes  to  the  Presbyterian  church  is  two  hundred  thou- 
sand dollars,  and  the  Manynooth  grant,  one  hundred  and  fifty 
thousand ;  thus  we  see  that  the  Episcopal  endowmentis  twen- 
ty-three times  greater  than  the  Roman  Catholic,  and  seven- 
teen times  greater  than  the  Presbyterian.  Then  too,  there  are 
those  Dissenters,  Friends.Covenanters,  Independents,  Baptists 
p.nd  Methodists,  who  receive  nothing  whatever  from  the  gov- 
ernment, who  have  had  principle  and  religion  enough,  to  re-( 
fuse  the  price  of  Uood !  Wlio  does  not  see  in  these  facts  the 
chief  cause  of  party  strife,and  all  the  religious  broils  which  have 


% 


Ireland  and  the  Irinh.  125 

cursed  the  green  island  for  centuries.  What  lover  of  justice 
and  religious  equulit}', knowing  the  history  of  Ireland,  does  not 
thank  God  for  the  glorious  day  which  shall  soon  dawh  upon 
her  people,  giving  to  all  "a  fair  Held  and  no  favor;"  and  for 
the  noble  men,  Gladstone  and  John  Bright,  through  whose 
fearlcES  and  untiring  efforts  it  has  been  mainly  brought  about. 

'i  Hail  I  tliou  long-wished  f^r  period  1 
Come  I  tbou  auspicious  day  I  " 

It  is  often  said  that  the  Irish  have  many  faults,  which  asser- 
tion we  do  not  deny — yet  it  should  not  be  forgotten  that  they, 
as  well,  have  many  virtues.  If  they  are  indolent  and  shiftless, 
it  is  because  they  have  had  no  incentive  to  labor  ;  and  if 
they  achieved  but  little,  it  has  not  been  for  the  want  of  repeat- 
ed endeavors  and  unconquerable  aspirations.  "Even  their 
turbulent,",  says  Charles  Fox,  "  speaks  better  for  their  nature 
than  if  they  had  sunk  under  oppression  to  that  sordid  state  of 
brutal  apathy  to  which  so  great  a  portion  of  the  human  race 
have  been  reduced  by  tyranny  and  superstition."  Their  rebel- 
lions have  been  but  their  opposition  to  oppression,  and  their 
lawlessness  but  the  language  of  disrespect  to  their  enemy  ! 

Ireland  has  impoverished  herself  by  giving  ;  from  her  have 
come  heads  and  hearts  that  have  enriched  many  lands.  The 
melodies  of  her  poets  are  sung  in  every  clime,  and  the  light  of 
her  naturalist.  Goldsmith,  has  blessed  the  world.  Sheridan,  the 
orator,  at  the  close  of  whose  speech  the  House  had  to  ad- 
journ, being  unable  to  "transact  business  calmly  while  under 
so  mighty  a  spell."  Of  which  speech,  Pitt  declared  that  it  sur- 
passed all  the  eloquence  of  ancient  and  modem  times  and 
possessed  every  thing,  that  genius  or  ai-t  could  funiish  to  agi- 


126  Ramhles  through  the  British   Isles. 

tate,  or  control  the  human  mind."  But  time  would  fail  to  tell 
of  Gratton,  of  Burke,  of  Wellington,  and  other  names  which 
will  live  as  long  as  history. 

The  Christian  world  has  been  greatly  enriched  by  Ireland. 
Her  sons  have  been  pioneers  in  every  good  word  and  work. 
They  have  been  the  first  to  carry  the  gospel  to  the  lands  be- 
yond the  sea.  But  a ^few  years  ago,  the  question  was  asked 
by  the  Bishops  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church  :  "  Who 
will  first  plant  our  banner  in  India  ?  "  For  a  time  no  response 
was  given.  Silence  reigned.  Finally,  the  stillness  of  the 
momentous  hour  was  broken  by  a  voice  from  New  England, 
from  one  (who  baptized  me  in  my  childhood  ht)me),  who  ex- 
claimed, '•  Here  am  I,  send  me  !"  The  offering  was  accepted, 
and  he  was  ordained  for  the  holy,  the  Christ-like  mission,  With 
cheerful  heart  and  burning  zeal  for  God's  glory,  an^the  good 
of  perishing  humanity,  we  see  him  start  off,  accompanied  by  his 
faithful  wife,  to  the  land  of  Egyptian  darkness  and  cruel 
deeds.  Being  asked,  by  a  triend,  "how  he  could  leave  his 
children  behind,"  he  replied  "^w  CJirisfs  sake,  only  for  Christ's 
sake!'"  With  anxiety  we  follow  him,  during  his  long  and 
tedious  journey,  through  his  months  of  toil,  and  in  his  hours 
of  extreme  peril,  when  pursued  by  the  bloody-handed  Sepoys. 
His  home  is  destroyed,  his  books  and  papers  are  burned,  while 
he  and  his  heroic  wife  have  had  to  fly  to  the  mountains  for 
ri'fuge.  What  now  are  his  feelings?  Is  he  discouraged? 
Will  he  give  up  his  work,  and  return  to  the  land  from  whence 
he  went  out  ?  No !  No !  !  Hear  him — "  They  may  shoot  me 
with  the  bullet,  they  may  pierce  me  with  the  sword,  they  may 
burn  me  to  ashes,  they  may  drive  me  through  blood  to  torture, 


Ireland  and  the  Irish.  I'll 

but  the  banner  of  salvation,  which  I  have  planted  for  our  be- 
loved Zion  ou  the  banks  of  the  Ganges,  shall  wave  over  uie  as 
I  fall  a  martyr  for  Jesus !  "  Who  is  tliis  first  apostia  to  India? 
I  answer,  "An  Irishman ! "  Few  men  could  have  acted  as  Wil- 
liam Butler  ditl,  amid  the  circumstances  by  which  he  was  sur- 
rounded, which  proved  to  the  church  and  the  world  that  he 
was  the  right  man  in  the  right  place,  possessing  a  wdl  which 
would  neither  bend  nor  break,  but  simply  hold  on ! 

The  Methodist  church  in  this  country  is  greatly  indebted  to 
Ireland — so  also  is  the  Presbyterian.  Dr.  Butler,  speaking  of 
what  Irish  Methodism  has  done  for  her  beloved  daughter — 
American  Methodism — says :  "  In  the  United  States  we  find 
the  chief  results  of  Irish  Methodism.  First,  in  the  origin  of 
our  church,  Philip  Embury,  Barbara  Heck,  Eobt  Strawbridge 
and  Eobert  Williams — the  first  American  itinerants  are  names 
we  mention,  which  will  be  held  in  everlasting  remembrance. 
The  influenee  of  Irish  Methodism  has  been  equally  marked  in 
the  progress  of  our  church,  particularly  iu  the  west.  For  tis 
especially  has  the  Irish  Conference  been  toiling  during  the 
past  forty  years,  until  w.e  have  viore  ministers  in  our  pulpits, 
and  more  members  in  oA  churches  of  Irish  extraction,  than  to- 
day remain  in  Ireland,  and  among  these  ministers  are  names 
that  American  Methodism  delights  to  honor,  as  Bishop  Simp- 
son, Dr.  McClintock,  Dr.  Elliott  and  Dr.  Richey."  The  world 
moves,  and  signs  of  progress  are  apparent  in  Ii-eland.  With 
the  disendowment  of  the  Established  church,  shall  come  new 
incentives  to  labor  for  the  evangelization  of  the  masses.  Pres- 
byterians, Metliodists,  Independents,  Covenanters,  Baptists  and 
Episcopalians,  will  now  incite  each  other  to  good  works,  and 


128  Rambles  through  the  British   Isles. 

Ireland, that  has  for  so  many  centuries  been  lying  bleeding,brok- 
en  and  expiring,  shall  revive  and  come  forth  from  her  long  night 
of  injustice  and  cruelty,  into  the  clear  sualight  of  civil  and 
religious  liberty. 

"  Fair  land  of  my  birth,  thougli  away  from  tiiy  shore, 
My  heart  seems  to  cherish  thee  only  the  more  ; 
To  love  thee  the  better,  bright  gem  of  the  sea — 
Oh,  Erin,  mavourneen,  acushla  machree  I 

"  In  joy  or  in  sorrow,  in  weal  or  in  woe, 

Thy  memory  ne'er  doth  my  spirit  forego; 

But  in  calm  or  in  tempest,  turns  still  ti-ue  to  thee^ 

Oh,  Erin,  mavourneen,  acushla  machree  1 

"  Thought  returns  to  my  home,  to  the  place  of  my  birth — 
To  those  whom  my  heart  once  held  dearest  on  earth ; 
And  with  their  loved  forms  it  must  needs,  too,  link  thee — 
Oh,  Erin,  mavourneen,  acushla  machree  I 

"  I  think  of  the  hills  where  in  childhood  I  bounded — 
I  think  of  the  glen  where  my  young  voice  resounded. 
And  sigh  for  those  glad  days,  I  sigh  too  for  thee— 
Oh,  Erin,  mavourneen,  acushla  machree  1 

"  I  sigh  for  those  days  when  bright  fancy's  wing, 
Hovering  over  each  object,  robbed  grief  of  its  sting. 


Mi 
e 


Oh,  Erin,  mavourneen,  acushla  macHree ! 

"  Tea,  many  a  vision  of  greatness  and  fame. 

My  country,  was  mingled  and  linked  with  thy  name ; 

Aye,  many  a  dream  was  expended  on  thee— 

Oh,  Erin,  mavourneen,  acushla  machree  1 " 


?*.& 


€B|jlmii 


"  O  England  I  model  to  thy  inward  greatness, 
Like  little  body  with  a  mighty  heart, 
"What  might'st  thou  do,  wliat  honor  would  thee  do, 
Were  all  Ifcy  children  kind  and  natural." 


IPi 


"  The  tombs  auil  mouumeutal  caves  of  death  look  cold." 

XIII. 

Saint   Paul's  Cathedbal. 

There  let  the  pealini;  organ  blow 

To  the  full-voiced  choir  below.   —  Milton. 

°^^^  FTER  a  very  pleasant  sail  along  the  eastern 
''?p(/t\^JA%     coast  of  England,  I  reached  the  city  of  Lon- 


'^^. \  ^-, v^^^fe/l    don — the  metropolis  of  the  world  !     But  how 

^^ify]^    shall  I  give  any  adequate  idea  of  the  magni- 

'^1^—    tude  of  this  place ;  others  have  tried,  and  failed. 

I  will  not  attempt  it — only  will  I  notice  a  few  of 

the  most  important  places  which  I  visited  during  my 

stay.     And  first  on  the  list  is 

Saint  Paul's  Cathedral. 
Tliis  is  an  immense  superstructure,  situated  near  the  river, 
and  aliout  the  center  of  the  old  town.  It  is  almost  half  a  mile 
in  circumference,  and  the  elevation  of  the  cross  from  the  founda- 
tion is  four  liundrcd  and  four  feet.  The  cross  and  the  ball  are 
said  to  weigh  eight  thousand  nine  hundred  and  sixty  jDounds. 
The  material  of  which  it  is  composed,  is  Portland  stone,  which 


132  Rambles  through  the   British  Isles. 

• 

in  its  natural  state  is  almost  white  as  marble.  But  what  a 
change  has  come  over  St.  Paul's  !  Once  clean  and  attractive, 
now  a  great  frowning  pile — black  and  repulsive.  It  is  really 
surprismg  that  the  Londoners  should  let  the  pride  of  their  city- 
appear  before  the  public  so  long  with  her  face  unwashed ! 

"A  few  yards  from  the  cathedral  is  a  narrow  street,  called 
Fanner's  alley,  where  may  ]je  seen  an  ancient  piece  of  sculp- 
ture, bearing  the  following  inscription  ; 

"■\Vlien  ye  have  sought 
The  city  round, 
Yet  still  this  Is 
The  highest  ground." 

And  this  is  true,  and  accounts  for  the  fact  that  St.  Paul's  can 
be  seen  at  a  great  distance  from  London,  when  none  of  the 
other  buildings  of  the  city  are  in  sight.  Having  strolled  about 
the  outside  for  a  little  while,  I  entered  by  one  of  the  side  doors, 
after  paying  the  accustomed  toll — and  when  I  got  through  with 
sight-seeing  in  the  cathedral,  I  found  my  purse  minus  about  a 
dollar  and  a  half.  Here  you  have  to  pay  for  every  thing  you 
see,  and  often  too,  for  what  you  hear  !  The  building  is  in  the 
form  of  a  cross,  and  over  the  intersection  rises  the  dome,  which 
is  called  only  second  to  St.  Peter's  in  Rome.  On  entering  the 
body  of  the  house,  I  was  struck  with  the  vastness  of  the  whole ; 
the  lofty  vaulting,  and  magnificent  concave,  with  which  it 
mounts  heavenward,  is  surprisingly  grand.  All  around  are 
tombs  and  memorials  of  many  a  bloody  conflict,  among  which 
are  monuments  to  Dr.  Johnson,  Nelson,  Reynolds,  Jones,  Corn- 
wallis,  Faulkner,  Mickenzie,  Moore,  Houghten,  Wellington, 
Turner,  West;     also,  Peckham,    and  Gibbs,  who  fell   at  the 


Saint  Paurs   Cathedral.  133 

battle  of  New  Orleans.  But  here,  in  one  corner,  is  a 
statue  which,  above  all  tlie  rest,  attracted  my  attention,  and 
which,  I  believe,  was  the  first  erected  in  St.  Paul's.  The  fece 
bears  strongly  the  marks  of  benevolence,  and  in  one  hand  is  a 
roll,  ou  which  is  inscribed,  "  Plan  for  the  Iraijrovement  of  Pris- 
ons and  Hospitals."  This  is  the  monument  of  one  of  the  mostf 
sclf-sacriticing  men  the  world  ever  looked  upon — the  noble,  the 
compassionate,  the  Christ^like  John  Howard  ! 

"While  I  mused  before  it,  I  could  not  but  call  to  ren\eml)rance 
the  beautiful  words  of  Dr.  "Aiken  : 

"  Howard,  thy  task  is  done!  thy  Master  calls, 
And  summons  thee  from  Cherson's  distant  walls. 
'  Come,  well-appioved  I  my  faithful  servant,  cornel 
No  more  a  -vy^and'rer,  seek  thy  destined  home. 
Long  have  I  marked  thee,  with  o'erruling  eye, 
And  s.'nt  admiring  angels  from  on  high. 
To  walk  the  paths  of  danger  hy  thy  side, 
From  death  to  shield  thee,  and  through  snares  to  guide. 
My  rriinister  of  good,  I've  sped  the  waj', 
And  shot  through  dungeon  glooms  a  leading  ray, 
To  cheer,  by  thee,  with  kind,  unhop'd  relief, 
My  creatures,  lost  and  'whelmed  in  guilt  and  grief. 
I've  led  thee,  ardent,  on  through  wond'ring  climes, 

To  combat  human  woes,  and  human  crimes, 

But 'tis  enough!  thy  great  commission's  o'er; 

1  prove  thy  faith,  th^  love,  thy  zeal  no  more. 

Nor  droop,  that  far  from  country,  kindred,  friends. 

Thy  life,  to  duty  long  devoted,  ends  ; 

What  boots  it  where  the  high  reward  is  given, 

Or  whence  the  soul,  triumphant,  springs  to  heaven."' 

Just  before  he  started  out  on  his  errand  of  mercy  to  Eo-ypt, 
talking  with    a   friend,   who   expressed   some   fear   that   they 
10 


134  Ramhles  through  the   British  Isles. 

should  not  meet  again,  he  cheerfully  exclaimed,  "  The  way  to 
heaven  from  Grand  Cako  is  as  near  as  from  London,  and  we 
shall  soon  meet  there  !^^ 

Over  the  entrance  to  the  choir  of  the  church,  is  the  following 
inscription  to  the  "memory  of  Sir  Christopher  Wren: 
^  Sitbtef.  Conditur.  Hiijits.  Ecc^esicE.  EL  Urhb.  Condilor. 
Christopherus.  Wren.  Qui.  Vixit.  Annofi.  Ultra.  Nona- 
ginta.  Non.  Sibi.  Sed.  Pro.  Bono.  Publico.  Lector.  Si. 
Monumentum.     Requiris.     Circiimspice. 

Beneath,  lies  Christopher  "Wren,  the  architect  of  this  church 
and  city,  who  lived  more  than  ninety  years,  not  for  himself 
alone,  but  for  the  puljlic.  Reader,  do  you  seek  his  monument? 
Look  around  !  * 

After  loitering  for  some  time  among  the  monuments,  I 
ascended  to  the  whispering-gallery,  which  is  at  the  base  of  the 
dome.  In  it  the  slightest  whisper,  at  the  distance  of  one  hun- 
dred and  tiffcy  feet  away,  is  heard  as  if  close  tt)  the  ear,  and 
the  chipping  of  the  hands,  as  loud  peals  of  thunder.  Higher 
still,  and  I  reached  the  top  of  the  dome,  and  were  it  not  for  the 
smoke  of  London,  the  sight  from  this  j^oint  would  be  grand. 
Here  the  atmosphere  is  never  free  from  smoke,  and,  conse- 
quently, even  from  this  high  eminence,  the  eye  cannot  take  in 
much  of  the  city.  Below,  and  all  around,  lie  innumerable  roofs, 
covered  with  tiles,  and  any  number  o'f  chimneys,  built  in  such  a 
way,  that  they  have  the  appearance  of  needing  a  friendly  hand 
to  keep  them  from  falling. 

There,  too,  is  the  Thames,  with  its  many  bridges,  and  resting 
on  its  surface,  are  steam  and  sail-ships,  from  many  lands.  The 
crowds  of  men  and  women  that  throng  the  streets  below,  look 


Saint  rauPs  Cathedral. 


135 


like  the  swarm  of  Lillii)utians,  who  tried  to  l)iiKl  Guliiver  with 
tlie  hairs  of  his  head.  How  insiguiticaut  every  thing  looks 
trom  this  stand-point!  So  I  thought,  to  myself,  just  in  the  ratio 
that  man  rises  toward  heaven  and  God,  do  the  things  of  tliis 
world  look  small.  He  looks  down  upon  them,  and  counts  them 
of  but  little  value,  when  compared  with  the  interests. of 
eternity  ! 


^^K^. 


XIV. 

Westminster  Abbey. 

'  How  reverend  is  the  face  of  this  tail  pile, 

ancient  pillars  rear  their  marble  heads." 


clu-kv  nrch(;s,  the  c^rav 


To  visit  London  without  see- 
ing Westminster  Abbey,  would 
be  "hn  unpardonable  blunder. 
Within  its  walls,  sleeps  the 
dust  of  England's  kings, 
queens,  and  princes,  from  Ed- 
ward the  Confessor,  to  George 
n.,  as  well  as  her  most  hon- 
ored authors,  poets,  states- 
men, warriors,  artists,  and  ac- 
tors. 

Though  not  as  large  as  St. 
Paul's,  yet  it  is  the  next  most 
imposing  religious  edifice  of 
London.  On  approaching  Vic- 
toria-street, from  Parliament, 
we  have  the  finest  view  of  the 
abbey.  Its  towers,  pinnacles, 
and  numerous  "turrets,  give  to 
it  a  magnificent  appearance. 

As  I  entered  this  venerable 
temi^le,  and  looked  upon  the 
Us,  the  time-woven  inscriptions  and 


I 


ircst minster  Abbey.  ,  187 

the  mutilated  memorials,  I   ]-eal:zed  as  never  before,  the  full 
force  of  these  Avor<-ls  : 

"  Life  is  a  frost  of  felicitie, 
And  duath  the  thaw  of  all  our  vanitie." 

Here  lie  those  who  warred  with  each  other  iu  life,  now  peace- 
ful and  quiet  in  death ;  here  the  jealousies  of  fame  and  fortune 
are  forgotten,  and  side  by  side  rest  the  good  and  the  bad,  the 
man  of  war  and  the  man  of  peace. 

The  main  body  of  the  abbey  is  surrounded  by  tal4et,s,  statues, 
and  monuments  of  departed  grandeur.  In  it  may  be  seen  every 
variety  of  taste,  and  every  degree  ol  splendor  in  execution.  I 
will  not  attempt  to  go  into  detail — to  do  so  would  be  to  fill  a 
book.  I  will  only  notice  a  few  of  the  monuments  which  made 
a  lasting  impression  on  my  mind. 

After  gazing  for  awhile,  at  the  tombs  of  Britain's  kings  and 
queens,  and  the  gorgeous  profusion  of  ornament  in  Henry  VH.'s 
chapel,  I  passed  out  into  a  place  of  still  greater  interest — the 
poet's  corner — so  called  from  being  chiefly  appropriated  to  the 
reception  of  the  monuments  and  mortal  relics  of  men  of  letters. 
In  this  little  corner,  is  concentrated  the  dust  of  the  true  men  of 
genius;  men  w'ho  are  not  indebted  to  wealth,  fortune,  or  rank, 
for  tlieii"  celebrity,  but  to  their  own  labor,  iu  the  improvement 
of  the  gifts  bestowed.  Many  of  them  lived  and  died  in  pov- 
erty, but  who,  nevertheless,  made  for  themselves  names  which 
shall  never  die.  Here  is  a  tablet,  with  the  medallion  of  Ben 
Jonson.  with  these  words  inscribed  beneath,  "O  rare  Ben 
Jonson  !"  A  story  is  told  about  the  grave  of  the  poet,  which 
is  as  deserving  of  credit,  as  many  of  the  marvellous  relations  of 
the  cathedral  guides.     It  is  to  this  efi'ect :    one  day  the  Dean 


138  Rambles  through  the  British  Isles. 

ofWestminster  rallied  Jousoii  about  his  burial  in  the  abbey- 
vaults.  "I  am  too  poor  for  that,"  said  Beu,  "  and  no  one  will 
lay  out  funeral  charges  upon  me.  No,  sii',  six  feet  long  by  two 
feet  wide,  is  too  much  for  me ;  two  feet  by  two  will  do  for  all  I 
want."  "You  shall  have  it,"  said  the  Dean,  On  the  poet's 
death,  the  riddle  was  explained  by  a  demand  for  the  space 
agreed  ;  when  a  hole  eight  feet  deeiJ  was  dug,  and  the  coffin  set 
upright  in  it. 

Here  is  sjo.  altar-tomb,  with  a  Gothic  canopy,  erected  over  the 
oldest  and  best  of  England's  i)oets,  Greoffrey  Chaucer. 

"  Ancient  master,  laughing  sage, 
Chaucer,  whose  native  manners,  painting  verse 
Well  mortaliztd,  shines  through  the  Gothic  cloud 
Of  time  and  language,  o'er  his  genius  thrown." 

Close  by,  is  a  statue  of  William  Shakspeare,  which  is  as  much 
admu-ed  as  his  own  words,  inscribed  thereon: 

"  The  cloud-capp'd  towers,  the  gorgeous  palaces, 
•  The  solemn  temples,  th.;  great  glohe  itself. 

Tea,  all  which  it  inherits,  shall  dissolve, 
And  like  the  baseless  fabric  of  a  vision. 
Leave  not  a  v  reck  behind." 
These  hnes   are  strangely  ^loquent  m  this  place,  and  much 
in  keeping  with  their  smTouudLngs. 

Looking  you  in  the  face,  as  if  eager  to  thrust  itself  upon  your 
notice,  is  the  bust  of  Nicholas  Rowe,  hy  Rysbrack.  It  is  chiefly 
noticeable  for  a  beautiful  inscription  by  Pope,  the  closing  Imes 
of  which  refer  to  his  widow  : 

"To  these, 80  mourn'din  death,  so  loved  in  life, 
The  childless  parent  and  the  widow'd  wife, 
"With  tears  inscribes  this  monumental  stone. 
That  holds  their  ashes,  and  expects  her  own." 


If 'est minster  Abbey.  139 

Aiul  here  is  Cupid,  holding  a  nicdaliiou  ol  the  po^it  John 
Gay,  with  a  couplet,  which  is  not  only  tiilt.e,  but  very  much  out 

of  place, 

"  Life  is  a  jfst,  ami  all  things  show  it ; 

I  thought  so  onee,  and  now  I  kuow  it." 

It  was  unjust,  to  take  a  mere  expression  of  the  jjoefs  mind  in 
a  thoughtless  moment,  and  place  it  on  his  monument. 

"  Life  is  real,  life  is  earnest, 

And  the  grave  is  not  its  goall" 

A.  little  to  the  right  is  a  pluiu  tablet,  with  this  inscripUon, 
"  Plere  lyeth  (expecting  the  second  coming  of  our  Saviour 
Christ  Jesus),  the  body  ot  Edmomi  Spencer,  the  prince  of  poets 
in  his  tyuie;  whose  divine  spirit  needs  no  other  witness  than 
the  works  which  he  lift  beliiudc  him.'" 

But  time  would  lail,  to  speak  of  the  monuments  of  Dryclen, 
Campbell,  Southey,  Thomson,  Goldsmith,  Addison,  Camden, 
and  others. 

It  must  not  be  supposed,  how^ever,  that  the  "Poet's  corner" 
is  solely  confined  to  poets  ;  divines,  philosophers,  actors,  musi- 
cians, dramatists,  architects,  and  critics  liave  iound  a  place 
among  them.  Barrow,  whose  life  almost  justifies  the  inscrip- 
tion which  speaks  ot  *'  a  man  almost  divine,  and  truly  great,  if 
greatness  be  comprised  in  i^iety,  probity,  and  faith,  the  deepest 
learning,  equal  modesty  tinil  morals  in  every  respect  sanctified 
and  sweet."  Barrow%  whom  Charles  II.  used  to  call  an  "  unfair 
preacher,"  because  alter  he  took  hold  of  a  subject  he  left  noth- 
ing for  others.     Barrow  sleeps  here. 

Crossing  to  the  wall  or  screen  of  the  choir,  we  stand  before 
the  beautiful  scul])tured  monument  of  Dr.  Busbv,  master  of 


140  Jta))ibles  through  the  British  Isles. 

Westiniuster  School.  '  It  is  said  that  Addison  and  Sir  Rogers 
once  met  before  Busby's  memorial,  when  the  following  conversa- 
tion followed,  ''Well,  Sir  Rogeis,  what  think  you  of  Busby?" 
"  Dr.  Busby  ! "  answered  the  knight,  "a  great  man ;  he  whipped 
my  grandfather — a  very  great  man  !  I  should  have  gone  to  him 
myself,  if  I  had  not  been  a  blockhead ;  a  very  great  man  I" 

In  the  nave  and  chapels,  are  many  inscriptions  in  Hebrew 
and  Greek,  some  of  which  date  back  as  far  as  616.  Side  by  side, 
repose  the  ashes  of  Newton,  Macaulay,  Garrick,  and  others.  In 
the  north  transept  sleep  some  of  England's  greatest  statesmen 
and  orators ;  in  the  center  of  the  aisle  is  a  slab,  marked  C.  J.  F. 
This  is  all  that  marks  the  last  resting-place  of  the  great  jjarlia- 
mentary  leader,  Charles  James  Fox ;  and  here  too,  I  noticed 
the  names  of  Pitt,  Mansfield,  and  Grattan. 

"  A  few  feet 
Of  sullen  earth  divide  each  winding-sheet ; 
How  peaceful  and  liow  powerfnl  is  the  grave, 
That  hushes  all  1" 

In  the  chaj)el  of  St.  Paul,  L  met  with  the  following  inscrip- 
tion, on  the  monument  of  Sir  John  and  Lady  FuUerton,  "  He 
died  fuller  of  faith  than  of  fear,  fuller  of  resolution  than  of  pains, 
fuller  of  honor  than  of  days." 

In  the  chapel  of  Edward  the  Confessor,  is  an  object  of  great 
attraction,  and  worthy  of  a  passing  notice — 
The  Coronation  Chair. 

In  it  all  the  kings  and  queens  of  England  were  crowned ;  and 
even  when  a  monarch  had  been  crowned  previously  in  another 
place,  as  was  Hen:y  HI.,  whose  coronation  took  place  at 
Gloucester,  it  was  deemed  expedient  to  have  him  come  to 
Westminster,  and  seated  in  this  venerable  chair,  go  through 


JJ 'est minster  Abbey. 


141 


the  orUcal  of  being  crowned  iii  the  presence  of  the  nobles  ami 
chief  ecclesiastical  dignitaries  of  the  realm.  This  ancient  piece 
of  furniture,  is  made  of  oak,  mostly  carved,  and  looks  as  if  it 
had  been  used  by  Father  Noah  in  the  ark. 

Under  it  is  a  stone,  said  to  be  the  very  one  which  Jacob  used 
for  a  pillow,  Avhen  he  had  that  Avonderful  vision !  As  I  looked 
at  the  old  chair,  I  thought  I  could  hear  it  say,  "  My  last  crown- 
ing day  has  come  and  gone,  thajjk  God  !  Gladstone  !  and  John 
Bright!" 


--' '  ■ 


XV. 

The    Towek  of   London. 

Full  of  death-voices,  murmuis  of  the  round 
Of  armed  guards  pacing  they-  callous  way, 
Of  whispered  farewell,  of  appealing  prayer  1 
Oil  I  Christ,  whose  patience  fails  not,  even  this  Hell 
Thy  love  availed  to  brii;liteu.  —Anon. 

,^^t>Ofr-"o  ^^EAVj^laces  in  the  world,  luive  a  more  bloody 
liiitoiy  than  this  hoary  strong-hold. 


,    ,   ^  «-' Julius,  London's  lastinsj  sh.ime." 


r  i.     Y~y        ^    history  than  this 
'      /  '  £1         ,  -  ,   A  "Ye  towers  of  . 

k/j^7^Ti^t  On  the  north  bank  of  tlie  Thames,  at  thobot- 
>!l^  tom  of  Tower  Hill,  stands  this  irregular  pile  of 
buildings,  called  "  London  Tower."  What  a  crowd  of 
'■Oj^/  awful  deeds  rush  upon  the  memory,  at  the  very  men- 
tion of  the  name.  Here,  kings,  queens,  statesmen,  patriots, 
l)liil()sophers,  poets  and  martyrs,  suffered  imprisonment — and 
many  of  them  deatli  of  the  mo.-t  cruel  form.  Indeed,  tliere  is 
scarcely  a  single  great  event  in  English  history,  in  which  tliis 
horrid  prison  does  not  appear  with  its  ghostly  sliadow.  After 
waiting  for  some  time  iu  a  little  office  within  tlie  entrance  gate, 
until  quite  a  company  }iad  ga  hered,  who  Avishcd  to  see  the 
Tower,  we  were  conducted  by  a  clown-looking  warden,  who  in 
a  luirried  manner  sliowod  us  from  one  place  of  interest  to  an- 
other, giving  at  the  same  time  a  rapid  history  of  each  room  and 


144  Rambles  through  the  British  Isles. 

object.     The  little  apartment  in  which  is  kept  the  regalia,  is  of 
recent  date,  and  is  called  the  "  Jewel  House." 

To  this  place,  in  1842,  tlie  jewels  were  removed  ;  formerly  they 
were  kept  iu  another  part  of  the  tower.  Here  are  no  less  than 
five  crowns  !  Oh,  what  a  world  of  trouble  has  this  group  of 
royal  trash  brought  aljout  ?  Victoria's  crown,  which  is  simply 
a  purple  velvet  cap,  with  silver  bands,  surmounted  by  ball  and 
cross,  and  studded  with  diamonds,  is  said  to  be  worth  one  and  a 
quarter  million  pounds  sterling.  There  too,  are  four  or  five 
scepters  of  gold,  and  two  swords,  one  called  the  sword  of  Mercy, 
and  the  other  the  sword  of  Justice ;  also  a  golden  wine  foun- 
tain and  baptismal  service,  for  the  use  of  the  royal  family  ;  the 
value  of  the  whole  is  said  to  Ije  about  twenty  millions  of  dollars  ! 
After  all,  crowns  and  scepters  seem  to  be  but  trifling  atiairs,  to 
have  caused  so  much  teart-barning  and  bloodshed.  How  true 
are  Milton's  words — 

'■  A  crown, 
Golden  in  show,  is  l)ut  a  wreath  of  thorns  ; 
Bring?  dangers,  troubles,  cares  and  sleepless  nights 
To  liim  who  wears  the  repeal  diadem, 
When  on  his  shoulders  each  man's  burden  lies  ; 
For  therein  stands  the  office  of  a  king, 
His  honor,  virtue,  merit,  and  chief  praise, 
That  for  the  public  all  this  weight  he  bears." 

Leaving  this  place,  we  pass  into  the  Horse  Armory,  which  is 
filled  with  specimens  of  old  armor  of  field  and  fort.  Here  are 
the  figures  of  the  kings  and  knights  of  England  on  horseback, 
each  dressed  up  in  the  armor  worn  under  each  successive  reign, 
from  the  time  of  Edward  I.,  A.  D.  1273,  to  James  H.,  1685.  In 
trout  of  the  equestrian  figures  stand  a  number  of  bow  and  pike- 


Ty  Tower  of  London.  145 

men  at  arms.  Behind  is  a  large  collection,  from  the  15th,  IGtli 
ami  17th  centuries. 

The  most  magnificent  armor  is  that  worn  by  the  effig-y  of 
Henry  YHI. 

Farther  on,  we  saw  a  horrid  machine  for  binding  together 
the  head,  hands  and  feet.  This  devilish  instrument  was  often 
put  into  practice  during  Henry  VHI.'s  day.  One  prisoner  by 
the  name  of  Miagh,  was  the  subject  of  its  torture  ;  on  the  wall 
of  the  cell,  in  which  he  was  confined  are  the  following  lines : 

"  Thomas  Miagh,  which  lieth  here  alone, 
Tliat  faine  ■would  from  hence  begone. 
By  torture  strange  my  truth  was  tried, 
Yet  of  my  liberty  denied." 

Also  the  block  on  which  was  laid  the  heads  of  so  m:iny 
j^oljle  men  and  women,  who  feared  not  them  who  liad  only 
power  to  kill  the  body,  and  after  that  had  no  more  that  they 
could  do. 

And  here,  too,  is  shown  the  axe  used  in  the  bloody  work.  At 
the  upper  end  of  the  room  is  an  equestrian  figure  of  Queen 
Elizabeth,  clothed  in  the  same  attire  worn  by  her  when  she 
went  to  St.  Paul's  to  return  thanks  for  her  deliverance  from  the 
Spanish  Armada:  • 

"  Now  glory  give  to  God  on  highjivho  saved  our  church  and  state 
From  Rome's  degrading  tyranny,  and  Philip's  jealous  hate; 
And  honor  to  our  good  Queen  Bess,  and  honor  ever  more, 
To  Howard,  Lord  Effingham,  and  all  who  guard  our  shore." 

We  next  visited  the  Tower  Chai^el,  and  on  our  way  to  it, 
we  passed  over  a  paved  space,  in  which  is  ni;uked,  by  a 
small  brass  plate,  the  very  s2')ot  Avhere  kings,  queens,  lords  and 


146  Rambles  throuyh  the   British  Isles. 

knights  were  executed  ;  formerly  tlie  space  was  covered  with 
grass, except  that  spot  onwhich  it  is  reported  nothing  would  grow. 
This  was  the  green  mentioned  by  Sir  Thomas  More,  as  the  place 
where  Hastings  was  brought  from  the  Council  Chamber,  in  the 
white  Tower,  "  and  there,  without  time  for  confession  or  repent- 
ance, his  head  was  struck  off  upon  a  log  of  timber." 

The  Chapel  is  a  little,  plain  stone  buildmg  of  great  antiquity, 
said  to  have  been  built  in  1273.  In  its  vaults  are  the  bodies  of 
many  distinguished  dead.  Here  sleeps  the  dust  of  Thomas 
Cromwell,  put  to  death  by  Henry  VH.  ;  of  Queen  Catherine 
Howard ;  of  Lady  Jane  Grey,  and  her  husband,  Lord  Guilford. 
When  Lady  Jane  was  being  led  forth  to  the  green  for  execution, 
history  says,  she  met  the  headless  corpse  of  her  husband,  which 
tliey  were  carrying  in  a  cart  to  the  Chapel ;  when  she  ex- 
claimed :  "  O !  Guilford,  Guilford,  the  antepast  is  not  so  bitter 
that  thou  hast  tasted,  and  which  I  shall  soon  taste,  as  to  mak? 
my  flesh  tremble  ;  it  is  nothing  compared  to  the  feast  of  which 
we  shall  partake  this  day  in  heaven;"  and  with  firm  pace  she 
went  on  toward  the  block.  The  executioner  2)utfortli  his  hand 
to  assist  ill  disrobing,  Ijut  she  told  him  to  let  her  alone,  and 
turning  to  two  of  her  waiting  maids,  she  gave  them  the  gar- 
ment with  as  much  composure,  as  if  in  her  own  chamber.  Hav- 
ing bound  a  handkerchief  about  her  eyes,  she  laid  down  her 
head  upon  the  block  and  exclaimed  :  "  Lord,  into  thy  hands  I 
commend  my  spirit." 

Under  the  chapel,  we  were  shown  the  cell  in  which  Sir  Wal- 
ter Raleigh  spent  thirteen  years,  and  where  he  wrote  his  "His- 
tory of  England."  Over  the  entrance,  is  the  following  inscrip- 
tion :  *'  He  that  endureth  to  the  end  shall  be  saved.  Be  faith- 
ful unto  death, and  I  will  give  thee  a  crown  of  life." 


The    'Tower  of  London.  1-47 

During  liis  la^t  iiiglit  in  the  cell,  tlio  night  before  hi:^  execu- 
tion, he  -wr^e  the  following  on  the  ))lank  leaf  oi  his  Bible  ; 

,     "Even  such  is  Time,  that  t;ikc8  oil  trust, 
Our  youth,  our  joys,  ourivll  we  have. 
And  pays  us,  but  with  aac  anil  dusk  ; 
Who  in  the  dark  and  silent  grave 
When  we  haw  wandered  all  our  ways. 
Shuts  up  the  story  of  our  days  1  " 

Passing  from  the  chapel,  we  entered  the  White  Tower  :  tliis 
is  the  room  once  occupied  as  council  chamber  ;  it  is  very  large ; 
the  roof  is  supported  with  two  rows  of  oaken  beams,  with 
windows  0:1  one  side  and  arches  on  the  other;  of  the  rudest  con- 
struction. In  it,  some  of  the  most  important  events  of  English 
history,  and  the  most  bloody  deeds  of  English  tyranny,  have 
taken  place.  Here  it  was  that  the  deposition  of  weak-kneed 
Richard  II.  was  enforced,  and  which  is  so  well  described  by 
Shakspeare,  I  will  give  his  w^ords: 

"  I  give  this  heavy  weight  from  ofl'  my  head. 

And  this  unwieldy  scep'ter  from  my  hand ; 

The  pride  of  kingly  atvay  from  out  my  heart ; 

Wi  h  mine  own  tears  I  wash  away  my  halm. 

With  mine  ovm  hands  I  irfve  away  my  crown. 

With  mine  own  tongue  deny  my  sacred  state, 

With  mine  own  breath  release  all  duteous  oaths  ; 

All  pomp  and  majesty  I  do  forswear ; 

My  manors,  rents,  revenues  I  do  forego ; 

My  acts,  decrees,  and  statutes  I  deny : 

God  pardon  all  oaths  that  are  broken  to  me  ! 

God  keep  all  oaths  unbroken  that  are  made  to  thee  1 

Make  me  that  nothing  have,  with  nothing  grieved ; 

And  thou  with  all  pleased,  that  hast  all  achieved  I 

Long  mayest  thou  live  i  i  Richard's  seat  to  sit. 


148  Rambles  through  the  British  Isles. 

And  soon  lie  Richard  in  an  earthen  pit  I 

God  eave  king  Henry,  unkinged  Richard  says,     • 

And  send  him  many  years  of  sunshine  days  I  " 

A  few  steps  from  here,  is  a  small  room,  having  but  one  little 
window,  which  looks  out  ixpon  the  Traitor's  gate  ;  in  this  cham- 
ber "the  child  king  and  his  brother"  were  cruelly  put  to 
death,  by  their  fiendish  uncle.  Sir  Thomas  More  gives  an  ac- 
count of  it — a  part  of  which  will  not  be  without  interest. 
His  account  is  as  follows:  "King  Eichard  III.,  after  his  cor- 
onation, taking  his  way  to  Gloucester,  to  visit  in  his  new- 
honor  the  town  of  which  he  bore  the  name  of  old,  devised  as 
he  rode  to  fulfill  that  thing  which  he  had  before  intended. 
And  forasmuch  as  his  mind  misgave  him  that  his  nephews 
living,  men  would  not  reckon  that  he  would  have  right  to  the 
realm,  he  thought,  therefore,  without  delay  to  rid  them;  as 
though  killing  of  his  kinsmen  might  aid  his  cause  and  make 
him  kindly  king.  Thereupon,  he  sent  John  Green;  whom  he 
specially  trusted,  unto  Sir  Robert  Brakenbury,  Constable  of 
the  Tower,  with  a  letter  and  credence  also,  that  the  same  Sir 
Robert,  in  any  wise,  should  put  the  two  children  to  death. 
This  John  Greene  did  his  errand  to  Brakenbury,  kneeling  be- 
fore our  Lady  in  the  tower,  who  plainly  answered  that  he 
would  never  put  them  to  death  to  die  therefoi-e.  With  which 
answer  Gk-eene  returned,  recounting  the  same  to  King  Eichard 
at  "Warwick,  yet  on  his  journey;  wherewith  he  took  such  dis- 
pleasure and  thought,  that  the  same  night  he  said  to  a  secret 
page  of  his,  '  Oh !  whom  shall  a  man  trust  ?  They  that  I  have 
brought  up  myself,  they  that  I  thought  would  have  most 
surely  served  me,  even  those   fail,  and   at  my  commandment 


I 


The  Tower  of  Londo)i.  149 

will  do  nothing  for  mo.'  'Sir,'  quotli  tlio  pngc,  'tlioro  livelh 
one  in  the  pallet  chamber  without,  tU;il  I  dure  will  say,  to  do 
your  yrace  pleasure  :  tlio  thing  were  right  liard  that  lie  would 
refuse,'  meaning  by  this  Sir  James  Tyrell.  Th  s  man  was 
seen  and  tempted,  and  the  result  was  that  he  devised  that 
they  should  be  murdered  in  their  beds,  and  no  blood  shed  ;  to 
the  execution  whereof  he  appointed  Miles  Forrest,  one  of  the 
four  that  beiore  kept  them,  a  fellow  fresh-bred  i\\  murdtr  be- 
fore times  ;  and  to  him  he  joined  one  John  Dighton,  his  own 
horsekeeper,  a  big,  broad,  square  and  strong  knave.  Then,  all 
tlie  others  being  removed  from  them,  this  Miles  Forrest  and 
John  Dighton,  about  midnight  came  into  the  chamber,  and 
suddenly  wrapped  them  up  among  the  clothes,  keeping  down 
by  force  the  feather  bed  and  pillows  hard  upon  their  niouths, 
that  within  a  while  they  smothered  and  stifled  them,  and  their 
breaths  failing,  they  gave  up  to  God  their  innocent  souls  into 
the  joys  of  heaven,  leaving  their  tormentors  their  bodies 
dead  in  bed  ;  after  which,  the  wretches  laid  them  out  upon  the 
bed,  and  fetched  Tyrell  to  seethem:  and  when  he  was  satisfied 
of  their  death  he  caused  the  murderers  to  bury  them  at  the 
stair  foot,  neatly  deep  in  the  ground,  under  a  great  heap  of 
stones:"  The  same  is  graphically  pictured  by  Shakspeare  in  his 
life  and  death  of  Richard  III.     Act  IV.,  Scene  III. 

"The  tyrannous  andMoorly  net  is  dono, 
The  most  arch  deed  or  piteous  massacre, 
That  ever  yet  this  land  was  guilty  of. 
Dighton  ai^  Forrest  whom  I  did  suborn 
To  do  this  piece  of  ruthful  butchery, 
Albeit  they  were  fleshed  villains,  bloody  dogs, 
Melted  with  tenderness  and  mild  compassion, 
11 


150  Ramlles  through  the  British  Isles. 

Wept  like  two  children  in  their  death's  sad  story. 

♦  O  1  thus,'    quoth  Dighton,  '  lay  the  gentle  babes, ' — 

'  Thus,  thus,'  quoth  Forrest,  girdling  one  another 

Within  their  alabaster  innocent  arms ; 

Their  lips  -were  four  red  roses  on  a  stalk, 

And  in  their  Buinraer  beauty  kissed  each  other, 

A  book  of  praytrs  on  theirpillow  lay  ; 

'  Which  once,  '  quoth  Forrest,  'almost  changed  my  mind; 

But,  O  I  the  devil '    there  the  villain  stopp'd ; 

When  Dighton  thus  told  on,—  'we  smothcrtid 

The  mostrepleiiished  sweet  work  of  nature, 

Th.it  from  the  prime  creation,  e't  r  she  fram'd. 

Hence  both  are  gone ;  wiih  conscience  and  remorse 

T.iey  could  not  speak;  and  so  I  left  them  both, 

To  bear  this  tidings  to  the  bloody  king." 

At  tlie  end  of  the  passage,  whicli  leada  from  the  outer  door 
to  the  front  of  the  circular  staircase,  is  pointed  out  tlie  spot 
where  the  children,  wtre  buried.  In  1674,  their  bones  were 
discovered,  and  by  the  order  of  Charles  II.,  were  inclosed  in  a 
marble  urn,  which  now  stands  in  Henry  YII.'s  Chapel,  Wo-t- 
minster  Abbey. 

During  the  reign  of  Henry  YIII.,  many  eminent  prisoners 
were  incarcerated  in  Bucamp  Tower.  Here  Sir  Thomas  More 
spent  some  time,  and  amid  all  the  gloom  and  horrid  scenes  by 
which  he  was  surrounded,  it  is  said,  he  maintained  his  accus- 
tomed buoyancy  of  spirit,  and  playfulnessof  manner.  When 
he  first  entered,  being  asked  by  the  porter,  which  was  the  cus- 
tom, for  his  uppermost  garment,  as  a  fee,  meaning  his  coat. 
Sir  Thomas  took  off  his  cap,  and  han&ing  it  to  him  said: 
"This  is  my  uppermost  garment,  1  wish  it  were  better  for 
your  sake."     And  when  he  was  led  forth  to  the  scafi:bld,  he  re- 


The  Tower  of  London.  151 

marked  to  tlie  executiouer,  as  he  laid  his  head  ou  the  block, 
*'  Prythee,  let  me  put  my  beard  aside,  for  that  hath  never  com- 
mitted treason."  Within  these  gloomy  walls  were  incarcerated, 
for  a  time,  Cranmer,  Ridley  and  Latimer. 

Beneath  this  tower  is  the  famous  passage  to  the  Thames,  l)y 
which  State  prisoners  were  carried  to  and  from  Whitehall  and 
Westminster,  called  the  "  Traitor's  Gate." 

"  On  through  that  gate  misnamed,  through  which  before 
Went  Sidney,  Kussell,  Kaleigh,  Oranmer,  More." 

It  was  while  passing  imder  this  dark  archway  that  the  strength 
of  Thomas  Cromwell  gave  way.  Here,  in  this  gloomy  strong- 
hold, he  who  was  the  chief  agent  in  the  overthrow  of  the  Papal 
supremacy  was  confined.  Having  offended  the  King,  he  was 
imprisoned  on  a  charge  of  high  treason,  and,  notwithstanding 
the  most  humble  supplications  for  mercy,  was  beheaded  in  1540. 
During  his  confinement  he  addressed  the  following  letter  to 
the  King,  which  is  said  to  have  brought  tears  to  Henry's  eyes  : 
"  I,  a  most  useful  prisoner,  am  ready  to  submit  to  death  when 
it  shall  please  God  and  your  majesty ;  and  yet  the  frail  flesh 
invites  me  to  call  to  your  grace  for  mercy  and  pardon  of  mine 
offences.  Written  at  the'Tower  with  a  heavy  heart  and  trem- 
bling hand  of  your  highness's  most  miserable  prisoner  and  poor 
slave,  Thomas  Cromwell.  Most  gracious  prince,  I  cry  for 
mercy !  mercy !  mercy  ! "  Thus  in  this  place  have  perished, 
icithoiit  mercy,  many  of  England's  proudest  sons  and  foirest 
daughters,  the  date  of  whose  sufferings  mark  the  outlines  of 
the  nation's  history.  *• 


•I 


XVI. 

The  Eoyal  Hoiie. 

High  in  the  midst,  upon  his  urn  reclined, 

His  sea-green  mantle  waving  with  the  wind, 

The  G-od  apjieared;  he  turned  his  azure  eyes 

Where  "Windsor-domes  and  pompous  turrets  rise, 

Then  bow'd,  and  spoke :  the  winds  do  roar, 

And  the  hush'd  waves  glide  softly  to  the  shore.  —Pope 


'^^:^i 

K 


INDSOR  CASTLE  is  truly  a  royal  building, 
and  worthy  of  the  country.  It  bears  tlie 
aspect  of  firmness  and  durability,  beyond  any 
^  3?=  I  have  seen — and  ii  just  far  enouoh  from  the 
'  ^  ^  *  city  to  ^  free  from  its  noise  and  smoke.  About 
^  one  hour's  ride  from  London,  by  rail,  lirought  me  to 
,^^  the  palace.  The  country  -which  intervenes,  is  under 
•i<i/=^  rich  cultivation,  and  I  felt  sorry  that  my  fiery  horse 
should  give  me  so  little  time,  to  admire  the  villages  and  man- 
sions Avhich  dotted  the  Avay.  On  approaching  Eton,  the  mag- 
nificent outlines  of  the  cp.stlc  are  seen  to  good  oflect.  Close  by, 
is  an  ancient-looking  br'ick  building,  called  Eton  College,  the 
place   where   Wellington,   Bolingbroke,     Canning,    Pitt,   Fox, 


154  Ramlles  tliroiujli  the   British  Isles. 

Chatham,    Gray,    and    many    other    disthiguished.    characters 
received  their  early  training. 

Windsor  and  Eton  might  be  called  one — they  are  one  by 
association,  one  in  fact,  and  one  by  marriage — being  united  by 
a  bridge.  Passing  up  the  street  of  Windsor,  to  the  point  where 
four  streets  meet,  the  whole  of  the  south  front  of  the  castle  lies 
in  sight,  and  looks  proudly  from  its  lofty  eminence.  The 
building  and  its  inclosed  courts  are  said  to  cover  over  twelve 
acres !  Since  the  time  of  the  Normans,  the  castle  has  passed 
through  various  alterations,  improvements  and  embellishments 
— according  to  the  taste  of  its  successive  mouarchs.  If  it  bears 
•the  marks  of  the  nation's  weakness  in  feudal  times,  it  is  not 
without  marks  of  the  nation's  growth  and  refinement ;  and  in  it 
we  see  a  symbol  of  the  nation's  character  and  greatness  ! 

The  most  conspicuous  point  to  be  seen  on  entering  the  first 
court-yard,  is  Saint  George's  Chapel,  which  was  built  by 
Edward  III.,  and  improved  by  Henry  VII.  This  .is  one  of  the 
three  royal  churches  of  the  British  Empire,  and  yet  not  unlike 
the  many  Gothic  churches  of  England — only  a  little  more 
kingly. 

The  roof  is  remarkable  for  its  leafy  workmanship — the  Avails 
are  decorated  with  innumerable  old  flags,  luider  which  are  the 
elaborately-Avrought  oaken  stalls  of  the  Knights  of  the  Garter. 
Under  the  floor  of  the  building,  sleeps  the  dust  of  four  kings — 
Edward  IV.,  the  ill-fated  Henry  VI.,  C  harlcs  I,  the  bloody- 
handed  and  God-fors  iken  Henry  VIII;  also,  the  remains  of  the 
queen  of  Edward  IV.,  and  Jane  Seymour,  the  third  wife  of 
Henry  VIH. 

"  The  gi-avo  unites ;  where  e'en  the  groat  find  re?t, 
AnA  blended  lie  the  oppressor  and  the  oppress'd." 


The  Royal  ILomc.  \  :,r. 

At  the  cast  end  of  the  chnpol,  stiimls  tlic  inonumont  of  llio 
lamented  Princess  Charlotte,  said  to  bo  llie  finest  thing  of  llio 
kind  in  England,  if  not  in  the  world 

The  l)otly  of  the  prhicess  is  represented  as  lying  on  a  eoueh, 
Avith  a  t^heet  thrown  loosely  over  it,  her  right  hand,  whieh  has 
lahen  l)y  its  side,  is  iu  part,  uncovered,  and  throngh  llie  sheet, 
the  I'orra  of  the  body  and  face  may  be  traced.  Aronnd  the  bier 
stand  and  kneel  a  group  of  mourning  females,  all  deeply  veiled ; 
and,  ascending  heavenward,  arc  the  freed  spirits  of  mother  and 
child,  accompanied  by  a  celestial  convoy. 

While  I  gazed  at  this  master-piece  of  workmanship,  which 
represents  so  vividly  the  moment  of  separation  between  the 
Christian's  soul  and  body,  the  words  of  Pope  came  with  new 
freshness  and  force  to  my  mind : 

"  Htirk  I  they  whisper ;  angels  say, 

Sister-sph-it,  come  away!" 
"  Lend,  lend  your  -wings !     I  mount  I    I  fly  i 
O  grave,  where  is  thv  victory  ? 
O  death,  wliere  is  thy  sting?" 

The  only  rooms  in  the  castle  to  which  we  were  admitted,  are 
the  following:  The  Queen's  audience-chamber,  with  one  of 
Verrio's  exquisite  ceilings,  and  magnificent  hangings  of  Gobelin 
tapestry.  The  Old-Ball,  or  Vandyke-Room,  so  cahed  from  the 
twenty-two  portraits  by  that  mister,  is  of  itself  worthy  of  a 
^pilgrimage  to  Windsor.  This  collection  of  paintings  show  the 
marks  of  no  common  workman;  here  is  one  of  the  three  great 
l)ictures  of  Charles  I.,  the  other  two  are  in  Hampton  Courtr 
The  portraits  of  Queen  Henrietta  are  very  fine,  and  the  grouj) 
of  Charles'  children,  with  their  favorite  dog,  is  said  to  be  one  of 
the  first  in  the  castle. 


156  Rambles  throiyh  the   Uritish  Isles. 

Proceeding  through  what  is  called  "  the  state  ante-room,"  to 
"  the  Grand-Staircase,"  and  so  to  the  Waterloo-chamber,  with 
its  walls  hung  with  the  portraits  of  rulers,  statesmen,  and  gen- 
erals of  that  day,  by  Sir  Thomas  Lawrence,  and  Sir  Martin 
Archer  Shee ;  (these  look  to  be  but  poor  daubs,  after  coming 
from  the  noble  group  by  Vandyke,)  we  next  passed  into  St. 
George's  Hail,  an  immense  apartment  in  which  is  the  Queen's 
Throne,  glittering  with  burnished  gold,  and  bright  with  GobeUn 
tapestry. 

Having  satisfied  my  curiosity  in  looking  at  these  royal  apart- 
ments, and  standing  before  the  busts  of  some  of  England's  most 
honored  sons,  I  jjassed  to  the  top  of  the  round  terrace,  from 
which  one  of  the  most  commanding  views  of  the  surrounding 
counti-y  may  be  had.  It  is  said  that  from  this  point,  on  a  clear 
day,  twelve  counties,  and  the  dome  of  St.  Padil's,  London,  can 
be  distinctly  seen.  The  day  I  visited  the  castle,  was  not  the 
clearest,  and,  consequently,  my  range  of  vision  was  curtailed ; 
but  not  so  much  so,  as  to  hide  from  my  sight  the  place  which  I 
was  more  desirous  to  see  than  the'  castle — the  church-yard  of 
Gray's  elegy : 

'=  Beneath  those  rugged  elms,  that  yew-tree  shade, 
Where  heaves  the  turf  in  many  a  mould'ring  heap, 
Each  in  his  narrow  cell  forever  laid. 
The  rude  forefathers  of  the  hamlet  sleep." 

t 

In  the  days  of  Henry  IV.,  this  tower  was  made  the  prison  of 
King  James  II.,  of  Scotland ;  who,  to  relieve  the  tedium  of  his 
thoughts,  turned  poet. 

Having  spent  more  time  here  than  I  could  well  afford,  I 
passed  down,  and^ut  upon  the  north  terrace,  where  the  view 


The  Roijal  Jlomc.  157 

is  very  rich  aiul  pleasing,  and  has  been  called  the  linest  in  all 
England.  Here  the  eye  rests  on  hill  and  vale,  lake  and  river — 
and  in  the  distance,  the  spires  and  antique  tovvcTs  of  Eton, 
Avhere  lying  between  is  the  "  expanse :  " 

"  Wliose  turf,  whose  shade,  whose  flowers  among. 
Wanders  the  hoary  Thames  along 
His  silvery  winding  way!  " 

Oh,  I. thought,  it  this  terrace  had  only  a  tongue,  what  tales  it 
might  tell — of  war  and  peace,  of  hatred  and  love,  of  jealousy 
and  revenge  !  Here  kings  and  queens  have  walked .  and  talked, 
lelt  and  acted,  like  common  people ! 

"  Here  noble  Surrey  felt  the  sacred  rage, 
Surrey,  the  Qranville  of  a  former  age; 
Matchless  his  pen,  victorious  was  his  lance. 
Bold  in  the  lists,  and  graceful  in  the  dance." 

I  had  only  time  to  cast  a  hurried  glance  at  the  handsome  park 
and  grounds,  by  which  the  castle  is  surrounded,  which  doubtless 
are  very  much  improved  since  Shakspeare's  day — yet  even  then 
they  must  have  been  very  beautiful,  for  he  puts  into  the  mouth 
of  Henry  VI.,  this  language  : 

"  O  God  I  methinks  it  were  a  happy  life, 
To  be  no  better  than  a  homely  swan." 

Indeed,  as  far  as  strong  walls,  well-lighted  rooms,  gorgeous 
ftu-uiture,  fine  paintings,  beautiful  surroundings,  and  royal 
trappings  of  every  kind,  are  concerned,  Windsor  Castle  stands 
first  in  Britain — and  as  for  as  I  know,  in  the  world  ! 

Not  far  from  the  castle,  in  one  of  the  most  befitting  situa- 
tions, stands  a  mausoleum,  recently  erected  by  Queen  Victoria. 


158  EamUes  through  tha  British   Isles. 

A  few  days  ago,  I  cut  from  the  Tribune,  a  description  of  it, 
which  enters  more  fully  into  detail  than  my  note-book  or 
memoiy. 

'•  The  mausoleum,  erected  by  Queen  Victoria,  within  sight  of 
Windsor  Castle  for  the  remains  of  her  husband,  has  cost  about 
one  million  dollars.  The  whole  amount  has  been  expended  by 
the  Queen  out  of  her  private  fortune.  The  exterior  of  the 
mausoleum  is  of  stone ;  the  interior  is  of  marble  of  all  colors  and 
kinds.  The  building  consists  of  a  central  octagon,  surrounded 
by  three  chapels,  or  recesses.  The  dome  of  the  octagon, 
including  a  cross  which  surmounts  it,  is  eighty-three  feet,  the 
height  inside  being  seventy  feet.  The  interior  decorations  are 
exceedingly  elaborate  in  colors  and  designs,  with  gilding, 
painting  and  sculpture  in  profusion.  A  massive  sarcophagus, 
of  highly-]3oUshed  Aberdeen  granite,  resting  upon  a  slab  of 
polished  black  marble,  in  the  center  of  the  octagon,  contains  the 
Prince's  remains.  There  is  a  kneeling  angel,  in  bronze,  at  each 
corner.  Upon  the  lid  of  the  sarcophagus,  is  a  recumbent  figure 
of  the  Prince  Consort,  in  white  marble,  the  work  of  Baron 
Marochetti.  The  dome  above  has  a  ceiling  of  blue,  spangled 
with  golden  stars.  The  ribs  of  the  dome  are  supported  with 
■golden  angels.  In  each  of  the  side  recesses,  a  bronze  and 
golden  chandelier  is  su«i)cndcd.  Painted  i^anels  and  sculptures 
adorn  the  walls,  with  inscriptions-  and  traceries.  In  the  recess 
opposite  the  entrance,  there  is  an  altar,  and  over  it  a  large 
painting  of  the  Resurrection  ;  above  it,  in  the  ceiling,  a  fresco 
of  the  Ascension.  There  is  to  be  a  large  painting,  also,  in  each 
of  the  other  recesses.  The  general  result  is  said  to  be  exceed- 
ingly impressive.     Every  thing  that   affection   could  dictate, 


The  Royal  Home.  159 

wealth  procure,  and  art  achieve,  has  been  done.  The  entrance 
to  the  mausoleum,  faces  the  east,  and  is  reached  by  a  flight  of 
black  marble  steps,  leading  to  a  i^orch  supported  by  granite 
columns,  with  a  ceiling  decorated  with  Venetian  mosaics.  The 
floor  of  the  entrance,  as  well  as  the  entire  structure,  is  formed 
of  variegated  marbles,  polished  and  inlaid  in  panels  of  various 
designs." 

After  a.hurried  walk  from  the  castle  to  the  depot,  I  was  very 
glad — being  foot-^re  and  tired — to  get  seated  in  the  car  which 
took  me  to  London  just  in  time,  and  early  enough,  for  a  late 
supper. 

"  Houses,  churches,*mixed  together ; 

Streets  crammed  full  in  every  weather;  ' 

Prisons,  palaces,  contiguous ; 

Sinners  sad  and  saints  religious; 

Gaudy  things  enough  to  tempt  ye ; 

Outsides  showy,  insides  empty  ; 

Baubles,  beasts,  mechanics,  arts, 

Coaches,  wheelbarrows,  and  carts ; 

WMiants,  bailiffs,  bills  unpaid; 

Lords  of  laundresses  afraid ; 

Eoguesthat  nightly  prowl,  and  shoot  men; 

Hangmen,  aldermen,  and  footmen ; 

Lawyers,  poets,  priests,  physicians. 

Nobles,  simple,  all  conditions ; 

Worth  beneath  a  thread-bare  cover, 

Tillainy  bedaubed  all  over ; 

Women — black,  fair,  red,  and  gray, 

Women  that  can  play  and  pay ; 

Handsome,  ugly,  witty,  still. 

Some  that  will  not,  some  that  will ; 

Many  a  beau  without  a  shilling, 

Many  a  widow  not  unwilling,  - 

Many  a  bargain,  if  you  strike  it — 

This  is  London,  if  you  like  it." 


"Things  of  fame  that  do  reuowii  this  city." 

XYII. 

The    British    Museum. 

"  Rare  is  each  cracked,  black,  rotten  earthen  dish, 
That  held,  of  ancient  Rome,  the  flesh  and  fish." 


ion ; 


7^  r=°^^t(^  HIS  is  one  of  the  finest  buildings  in  Londc 
'^"~'  ^  ■  and  in  itself  a  standing  monument  of  tne 
nation's  liberality.  In  form  it  is  quadrangu- 
'  ~\f  CJ*J  lar,-  and  in  style  Ionic.  The  southern  front  is 
"TyV  three  hundred  and  seventy  feet  long,  and  the  en- 
tire circuit  of  the  building  about  two  thousand 
feet.  In  the  center  of  the  quadrangle,  is  a  well-kept 
court  yard,  three  hundred  and  twenty,  by  two  hun- 
dred and  forty  feet.  Passing  up  twenty-seven  stone  steps,  the 
principal  floor  of^he  building  is  reached,  yet  not  until  one 
stands  in  the  portico,  surrounded  by  the  lofty  pillars,  can  any 
true  idea  of  their  proportions  be  reached.  To  even  mention 
the  names  of  half  the  objects  of  interest  which  I  saw,  would 
be  enough  to  fill  several  volumes.  I  shall  only  notice  a  tew 
things,  which  amply  repaid  for  my  visit  and  toil,  of  passing 
from  gallery  to  gallery,  and  from  hall  to  hall,  of  this  wonder- 
ful collection. 


The  Britinh  Mmrum.  IGl 

In  tho  Egyptian  Gallery  are  specimens — most  of  tlicm  on  a 
vast  scale.  Here  are  gods  and  heroes,  wrouglit  in  basalt,  and 
granite,  of  imposing  proportions,  among  which  are~  the  colos- 
sal head  found  at  Carnak,  the  liead  of  Eameses,  the  dark  granite 
statue  of  Amenoph,  the  black  granite  figure  of  Bubastis,  and 
the  Sarabaeus,  or  sacred  beetle.  Near  these,  is  the  Rosetta 
stone,  which  should  not  be  passed  by  unnoticed.  It  is  supposed 
to  date  back  two  hundi-ed  years  before  the  birth  of  Christ.  It 
is  simply  a  l)lack  slab,  with  a  smooth  surface,  on  which  is  a 
triple  inscription-  one  in  Egyptian  hieroglyphics,  qne  in  the 
ancient  siaoken  language  of  Egypt,  and  one  in  Greek.  It  was 
in  studying  this  triple  inscription,  that  Dr.  Tliomas  Young 
first  discovered  the  art  of  reading  Egyptian  hieroglyphics.  On 
the  walls,  protected  by  glass,  are  specimens  of  real  Egyptian 
fresco  painting.  And  although  the  hand  that  executed  the 
work  has  been  for  over  three  tliousan4  years  at  rest,  yet  the 
colors  appear  as  if  put  on  but  yesterday. 

In  the  Phigaleian  Saloon,  are  a  series  of  bass-reliefs,  which 
once  ran  round  the  upper  part  of  the  famous  temple  of  Apollo. 
Here  also  are  figures — not  the  original  marble,  but  cast  in 
plaster — from  the  great  temple  of  Jupiter  ;  and  two  models  of 
the  far-famed  Templeof  Minerva,  at  Athens,  !>!/  Lucas.  Passing 
on,  we  enter  the  Elgin  Department,  in  which  are  many  beauti- 
ful specimens  of  sculpture  from  the  Parthenon.  Oh,  if  these 
lifeless  stones  could  but  speak,  what  tales  they  might  unfold  I 

Passing  hurriedly  through  tlie  Lyceum  room,  in  which  are 
sculptured  slabs,  tombs,  lions'  heads,  winged  lions,  and  jiillars 
covered  with  inscriptions — all  of  which  are  in  the  neighbor- 
hood of  three  thousand  years  old — ^e  come  to  the   Nimrod 


162  Rambles  through  the  British  Isles. 

Saloon;  in  which  are  specimens  of  Sculpture  from  the  ruins  of 
ancient  Nineveh.  Most  prominent  among  them,  are  the  stone 
slabs,  ou  •which  scenes  are  sculptured  in  very  low  relief.  One 
is  a  battle  scene  ;  another  a  beseiged  town ;  another  a  besieged 
castle,  and  another  a  lion  hunt — all  of  them  representations  of 
some  excitement. 

Ascending  the  grand  staircase,  and  taking  a  hun-ied  glance 
at  the  Zoological  and  Mineralogical  departments — which  are 
called  the  finest  in  the  world — we  pass  on  to  the  western  gal- 
leries. Here  are  many  curious  things,  among  which  are  mum- 
mies, that  were  mummies  prior  to  the  days  of  Moses !  Some  of 
them  are  partly  unrolled,  and  others  entirely  exposed.  The 
skin  bears  the  appearance  of  tanned  leather,  of  an  olive  tint, 
and  the  teeth,  hair  and  features,  in  some  are  quite  perfect. 

"  If  that  -withered  tongue 
Might  tell  us  what  those   sightless  orbs  have  secii, 
How  the  world  look'd  when  it  was  fresh  and  young, 
And  the  great  deluge  still  had  left  it  green  ; 
Or  was  it  then  so  old,  that  historj-'s  i  ages 
Contained  no  record  of  its  early  ages  ? 
Still  silent,  uncommunicative  elf? 
Art  sworn  to  secrecy  ?  then  keep  thy  vows  ; 
But,  prythee,  tell  us  something  of  thyself. 
Reveal  the  secrets  of  thy  prison  house  I 
Since  in  the  world  of  epirits  thou  hast  slumbered, 
What  hast  thou  seen,  what  strange  adventures  numbered  ? 
Since  first  thy  form  was  in  the  box  ejrtfndcd, 
We  have,  above  ground,  seen  some  strange  mutations — 
The  Roman  empire  has  begun  and  ended. 
New  worlds  have  risen,  v  e  have  lost  old  nations ; 
And  countless  kings  have  into  dust  been  humbled. 
While  not  a  fragment  of  thy  flesh  has  crumbled  1" 


llic  British  Museum.  1G3 

There  is  one,  said  to  be  the  Priestess  of  Amcra;  she  is  \vrai)i)ed. 
iu  liuon,  which  is  ornameated  with  the  likenesses  of  the  Egypt- 
ian gods.  Here  are  wooden  figures  brought  from  tombs; 
bronze  and  porcelain  figures,  used  at  private  worship ;  and 
here  are  strange  looking  figures,  half  man  and  half  brute — 
household  gods.  In  the  bronze  room  are  the  family  and  do- 
mestic deities  of  the  Komans,  with  any  amount  of  trinkets, 
and  ancient  ornaments. 

From  this  we  puss  into  the  Ethnographical  department,  in 
which  are  represented  the  dili'erent  nations  of  men,  their  man- 
ners, customs,  arts  and  implements.  Passing  out  of  this  de- 
partment, I  next  visited  that  part  of  the  museum  which  I 
most  desired  to  see — the  Uhrary.  It  contains  over  a  million  of 
volumes,  ten  thousand  maps,  thirty  thousand  manuscripts  and 
about  five  thousand  parchments.  In  the  Great  Library,  the 
wails  are  lined  with  book-cases  from  the  floor  to  the  ceiling. 
Here  are  the  original  manuscripts  of  Tasso,  Pope's  Iliad,  the 
works  of  "  rare  Ben  Jonson  ;  "  also  letters  written  by  Napo- 
leon, Catharine  de  Medici,  Peter  the  Great,  Nelson,  Mary, 
Queen  of  Scots,  Washington,  Bacon,  Locke,  Newton,  Addison, 
Fra7iklin,  Calvin,  Luther,  Cranmer,  Latimer,  Shakspeare,  and 
others  of  like  fame.  In  the  king's  library — the  gift  of  George 
IV. — are  many  rare  books,  some  of  wliich  are  worth  more  than 
their  weight  in  gold.  Most  of  the  volumes  in  this  depart- 
ment are  elegantly  bound,  though  some  of  them  begin  to  show 
the  wear  of  years.  In  the  center  of  the  room,  are  table  cases, 
holding  books  of  the  rarest  kind,  which  are  laid  open,  so  that 
the  paper,  tj'pe,  and  manuscript  additions,  can  be  seen,  but  not 
touched.     One  is  the  first  printed  edition  of  Dante,   dated 


164  Ramhles  through  the  British  Isles. 

1473.  Another  is  a  copy  of  Virgil,  in  Italic  tj-pe.  Kext  is  a 
French  romance  of  "Les  Quatre  Fitz  Ayman,"  printed  in 
1480.  Close  to  it,  is  a  Hebrew  Commentary  on  Daniel,  printed 
in  Asia,  in  1489.  And  here  is  a  Mazarine  Bible,  as  it  is  called, 
printed  by  Guttenberg  and  Faust,  at  Mentz,  which  is  the  earliest 
printed  book  now  known.  One  department  that  I  must 
not  fail  to  mention,  is  the  Beading  Room.  This  is  a  rotunda, 
one  hundred  and  forty  feet  in  diameter,  and  of  a  height  nearly 
equal.  Here  are  seats,  desks,  and  writing  materials,  to  accom- 
modate over  five  hundred  persons.  In  the  center  of  this  room, 
is  a  desk,  containing  a  catalogue  of  the  library  in  manuscript, 
which  numbers  over  three  hundred  folio  volumes. 

To  this  grand  library,  are  admitted  the  high  and  the  low, 
the  citizen  and  the  stranger,  without  money  and  without 
price ! 


Po^(.i  show5  til 


xvin. 

Crystal  Palace — The  World  in  a  Nut  Shell. 

High  on  a  hill  far  blazing,  as  a  mount 

Raised  on  a  mount,  with  pyramids,  and  towers, 

From  diamond-quarries  hewn,  and  rocks  of  gold.  —Milton, 


N  less  than  thirty  minutes,  after  taking  my  seat 
^     in  one  of  the  steam-cars  at  Victoria  Station, 
^  I  found  myself  at  the  entrance  of  this  beauti- 

/"-,  ,5v^5v^^_^  ful  palace.  Before  reaching  the  main  buikl- 
'  i-,- Hi^'- /' 1  ing,  I  passed  throuijh  a  glass  colonnade,  almost 
r'^^'lr^^  eight  hundred  feet  in  length,  on  each  side  of 
I  i  it'j  which  are  flowers  and  shrubs  of  every  variety,  filling 
ViiJi^il)   the  air  with  most  delicious  fragrance. 

After  entering,  I  stood  for  some  time  looking  around  me",  and 
never  shall   I   forget  what  commingled   feelings  of   vastness, 
splendor,  and   novelty,  burst   upon  my  mind  !     Tliis,  as  far  as 
12  ^     . 


166  RamUes  through  the  British  Isles. 

appearance  is  concerned,  indeed,  might  well  be  callei  a  second 
Paradise.  Here,  nature  and  art  combine  to  make  a  perfect 
pictm-c  of  life  and  beauty  ;  and  so  numerous  are  the  objects  of 
attraction,  that  it  would  be  absurd  to  attempt  anything  beyond 
a  faint  outline  description. 

To  see  the  Crystal  Palace  as  it  should  be  seen,  one  ought  to 
stay  here,  not  less  than  a  week ;  and  yet  a  fair  proportion  of  it 
may  be  seen,  by  the  hurried  traveler,  in  one  or  two  days— if  he 
make  good  use  of  his  eyes. 

The  Ijuilduig  is  com2:)osed  wholly  of  iron  and  srlass,  and  in 
winter  is  heated  by  means  ot  hot  water.  It  covers  seven  hun- 
dred and  forty-three  thousand,  six  hundred  and  fifty-nine 
superficial  feet  of  ground,  cost  over  seven  million  dollars, 
and  is  a  marvellous  achievemeut  of  human  genius,  skill  and 
taste. 

The  name  of  Paxt«n  will  not  soon  be  forgotten ;  his  triuni]-)u 
in  the  construction  of  this  crystalline  castle,  is  glory  enough, 
for  one  man  to  carry.  A  few  of  the  sights  on  the  first  floor,  are 
worthy  of  notice.  The  popular  promenade  of  the  palace,  is  the 
main  aisle,  which  is  very  broad  and  beautiful.  In  the  middle 
of  the  transept,  which  is  the  center  of  the  building,  is  one  of  the 
handsomest  fountains  I  ever  looked  at.  It  is  composed  of  glass, 
and  so  constructed  that  the  water,  after  ascending  to  a  height 
of  about  thirty  feet,  is  caught  in  its  descent  by  a  succession  of 
glass  basins,  which  do  not  retain  it  long,  but  pass  it  front  one 
to  another  in  silver  spray,  until  it  reaches  the  magic  lake  at  its 
b'lse.  Here  too,  are  several  large  elm  trees,  from  two  to  three 
hundred  feet  in  height — which  add  not  a  little  to  the  scene. 
In   the  Egyptian   court,  are   sculptured   lions  from  the   Nile, 


The   World  in  a  Nut  Shell.  1G7 

cohunns  of  celebrated  temples,  some  of  them,  said  to  date  back 
tbiitoeu  huutbed  years  before  CUrist ;  tombs  and  ligm-es  of  the 
great  and  forgotten  of  the  jjast,  ornaments  and  hideous-looking 
nnagmarj-  creatm-es,  taken  froin  the  palaces  of  Senuecharib, 
Nebuchadnezzar,  and  Semiramis. 

From  these  we  pass  into  the  Grecian  court,  in  -which  is  a 
part  of  a  Greek  agora,  (or  public-square),  with  its  porch  and 
pillars  ;  here  also  is  a  model  of  the  Parthenon,  and  the  temple 
of  Neptune,  paneled  ceiling,  fashioned  after  the  temple  of 
Apollo,  and  many  pieces  of  wcU-wi'ought  antique  sculi)ture, 
which  cast  mto  the  background  all  the  samples  from  other  " 
lanils. 

In  the  Roman  section,  are  models  of  the  outer  wall  of  the 
Coliseum  and  the  ancient  Forum ;  also,  several  well-executed 
copies  of  the  great  works  of  Michajl  Angclo,  Bcnevento, 
Cellini,  and  others. 

Having  satisfied  myself  in  the  courts  of  the  ancients,  I  spent 
some  time  in  looking  at  the  wild  animals,  birds,  and  fish.  One 
thing,  with  which  I  was  highly  jileased,  is  the  profusion  of 
trees,  shrubs,  and  flowers,  iirom  all  jjarts  of  the  world.  Among 
the  trees,  I  might  mention  the  orange,  the  palm,  the  date,  the 
olive,  and  the  cedar  from  Lebanon.  And  m  the  midst  of  these 
trees,  shrubs  and  flowers — most  ingeniously  arranged — are 
specimens,  cast  in  bronze,  of  diflercnt  nations  of  men,  beasts, 
and' reptiles — all  life-hke.  Ascending  a  stairway,  in  the  south 
end  of  the  building,  I  found  myself  in  the  picture-gallery. 
Among  the  oil-paintings,  which  number  over  eleven  hundred, 
I  could  have  spent  a  week ;  each  one  in  itself  is  a  study,  and  I 
regretted  much  that  my  time  was  so  limited,  that  I  could  only 
give  them  a  passing  look. 


168  Rambles  through  the  British  Isles. 

Next  is  one,  entitled  the  "Lullaby,"  bi/  Mrs.  E.  Brotmihno 
King.  None  but  a  woman,  with  a  mother's  soul,  could  have 
painted  such  a  master-piece. 

"  Let  music  mingle  with  the  mother's  smiles, 
Lulling  her  habe  to  Bleep  with  songs  at  even  : 
Songs  that  will  he  remembered  in  the  day 
When  the  child's  flaxen  locks  have  turned  to  gray." 

Farther  on,  is  "  Isabel,"  by  E.  T.  Haynes.  This  is  a  paint- 
ing before  which  even  the  hurried  visitor  cannot  help  but 
pause : 

'•  Eyes  not  downcast  nor  o'er  bright,  but  fed 
With  the  clear  pointed  flame  of  chastity; 
Clear  without  heat,  undying,  tended  by 
Pure  vestal  thoughts,  in  the  transcendent  flame 
Of  her  still  spirit." 

There  is  one,  by  HuysThans,  "The  Eruption  of  Vesuvius,  A.  d. 
79,  in  which  Pliny  was  destroyed."  Of  the  old  philosopher, 
history  says,  "  In  spite  of  warnings,  Pliny  remained  near  the 
mountain  during  the  night,  the  better  to  observe  the  eruption, 
which  during  the  obscurity,  appeared  to  be  one  continual 
blaze.         *        *         *         * 

"  At  last  the  fire  approached  the  place  where  the  philoso- 
pher made  his  observations.  Pliny  endeavored  to  fly  before  it ; 
but  though  he  was  supported  by  two  of  his  servants,  he  was 
unable  to  escape,  and  soon  fell  down,  suffocated  by  the  vapor 
that  surrounded  him." 

This  is  called,  by  many,  the  finest  painting  in  the  gallery. 
Among  the  water-colors,  are  some  of  rare  loveliness.  In  one 
part  of  the  collection,  are  seven  superb  copies  of  the  celebrated 
ctu-toons  of  Raphael;    they  were   painted   by  Antonio  Verrio, 


The   IVorhl  in  a  Nut  Shell.  109 

about  the  year  1700,  hy  order  of  William  III.,  avIio  inlcndcd  to 
Ki'iul  them  to  Holland  for  the  improvoment  of  his  coiiiitryiuun, 
l>ut  the  king  dying  before  they  were  finished;  they  were  not 
stilt.  A  little  farther  south,  is  a  very  fine  collection  of  copies 
from  all  the  old  masters — making  even  Addison  say  : 
'•  Fain  would  I  Rapliasl's godlike  art  rehearse, 

And  show  the  immortal's  labors  in  my  verse : 

Where,  from  the  mingled  strength  of  shade  and  light, 

A  new  creation  rises  to  my  sight : 

Such  heavenly  figures  from  his  pencil  flow, 

So  warm  with  l.fe  his  blended  colors  glow." 
The  gardens,  i^arks,  and  pleasure-grounds  around  the  Crystal 
Palace,  are  all  that  might  be  expected.  Here  are  fountains, 
large  and  small,  making  the  air  cool  with  their  refreshing 
showers,  and  flowers  from  all  lands  filling  it  with  their  richest 
perfume.  Scattered  through  the  pleasure-grounds  and  gar- 
dens, are  copies  in  bronze  and  stone,  of  the  most  celebrated 
sculpture  of  the  world. 

Here  is  Francis,  Hercules,  the  graceful  Mercury  of  Thorwald- 
sen,  the  Venus  of  Milo,  and  the  Paris  Conova;  here,  also,  are 
numerous  allegorical  statues,  as  of  Glasgow,  Liverpool,  Belfast, 
]\Ianchester,  Sheffield,  Birmingham;  and  of  South  America, 
Turkey,  Greece,  China,  India,  Russia,  Canada,  and  the  United 
States.  AU  around  are  beautiful  temples,  vases  and  urns,  of 
various  fashions  and  forips.  As  a  whole,  this  fairy-like  struc- 
ture, with  its  park,  pleasure-grounds,  gardens,  and  fountains ; 
its  rich  collection  of  sculpture,  both  ancient  and  modern ;  its 
picture-galleries,  combining  the  new  and  the  old;  its  many 
wonders,  trom  near  and  far-off  lands,  is  the  j^ar  excellence,  the 
greatest  sight  in  or  about  London — yea  more,  the  greatest  in 
the  Avorld  ! 


#- 


"  Witli  joy  shall  ye  draw  water  out  of  the  wells  of  salvation." 

XIX. 

A   Sabbath   in   London. 

Sabbatbs,  like  way-marks,  cheer  the  pilgrim's   path, 
His  progress  mark,  and  keep  his  rest  in  view.  —  Wilcox. 

(^%P  )sjVATE  on  Saturday  evening,  I  reached  London, 
-)  and  was  therefore  unable  to  procure  a  ticket 
of  admission  to  Spurgeon's  Church.  Sunday- 
morning  having  come,  I  left  my  hotel  quite 
early,  passed  down  to  the  river,  where  I  went  on 
^  board  one  of  the  passenger  boats,  which  in  a  few 
minutes  took  me  to  the  London  Bridge.  The  Tab- 
ernacle is  a  little  more  than  a  mile  south  of  the 
On  my  way  thither,  I  entered  into  conversation  with 
a  gentleman  who  was  journeying  in  the  same  direction. 
Making  some  inquiry    as  to  the  location  of  the  church,  he 


bridoje. 


^i    tSdhhdfh   in   I.ondon.  171 

tokl  mo  ho  was  a  memljLT  ol  it  ami  was  y,i>iu<^-  there.  I  in- 
formed him  of  my  dosirc  to  hear  8purgc()u,  and  that,  being  a 
stranger  without  a  tieket,  I  entertained  some  fear  about  get- 
ting in.  ''Well,  sir,"  said  he,  "  I  will  do  all  in  my  power,  see- 
ing you  have  come  so  far,  to  obtain  an  entrauee  for  you ;  but," 
he  added,  "  1  may  fall,  for,  although  a  member,  I  am  about  as 
much-of  a  stranger  to  the  door-keeper,  as  you  will  be." 

On  coming  in  sight  of  the  church,  we  saw  quite  a  crowd  as- 
sembled around  the  front  entrance,  who  were  biding  their 
tmie,  though  almost  an  hour  before  the  service  was  to  com- 
mence. My  friend  took  me  to  a  door  in  the  rear  of  the  build- 
ing, before  which  was  stationed  a  group  of  men,  with  bright 
buttons  on  their  coats — their  uniform  giving  them  the  appear- 
ance of  a  corps  of  our  city  policemen.  To  these  door  officials, 
I  was  introduced  as  an  American,  who  was  anxious  to  hear 
Mr,  Spurgeon,  when,  with  the  greatest  i^oliteness,  they  touched 
their  hats  to  me,  and  said, '' Walk  in,  sir."  I  was  told  by  my 
worthy  guide,  I  had  better  secure  a  position  in  that  part  of 
the  church,  where  I  would  like  a  seat.  I  did  so  and  had  not 
waited  long,  before  a  lady  invited  me,  to  take  a  seat  in  her 
pew,  which  I  did  with  a  right  good  will. 

The  building  has  very  little  of  the  church  appearance,  and 
a  stranger  would  be  more  likely  to  take  it  for  a  law  court,  or 
commercial  edifice,  than  for  a  house  of  worship.  It  is  an 
immense  square  structure,  with  entrance  on  both  ends  and 
on  each  side.  The  exterior  of  the  building  presents  nothing 
verj^  attractive  to  the  eye,  except  in  the  magnificent  facade. 
The  lofty  frontage,  supported  by  six  Corinthian  pillars,  forms  a 
noble  jiortico,  the  ascent  to  which  is  made  by  a  broad  flight 


172  Ramhics  tlirouijh  the    British  Isles. 

of  steps.  The  grandeur  and  boldness  of  this  part  of  the  l3uild- 
ing  are  deserving  of  the  highest  praise,  and  ai-e,  of  their  kind, 
altogether  unrivaled.  The  length  of  the  Tabernacle,  on  the 
outside,  is  two  hundred  feet ;  its  breadth  is  one  hundi-ed  and 
four  feet.  It  is  provided  with  sixteen  doors,  for  the  exit  and 
entrance  of  the  congregation,  besides  one  or  more  private  en- 
trances ;  and  it  is  lighted  and  ventilated  by  a  number  of  hand- 
some windows  and  Louvre  lights  in  the  roof.  The  inside  di- 
mensions of  tbe  chapel  are  one  hundred  and  forty-six  feet  long, 
by  eigbty-one  feet  wide;  the  height  is  sixty-two  feet.  The 
roof  is  concave ;  the  ceiling  supported  by  sixteen  iron  shafts; 
the  pillars  being  oriiamented  with  capitals,  and  united  at  the 
top  by  semicircular  arches.  There  are  two  galleries  of  light 
iron-work,  painted  white,  and  relieved  with  gilding.  The 
walls  are  painted  a  light  green,  and  the  pews  are  of  an  oak 
color,  without  doors.  The  rostrum  is  reached  by  a  private 
staircase  at  the  back,  as  well  as  by  a  double  flight  of  stairs 
from  the  platform  below.  The  baptistry  is  of  white  marble. 
The  effect  of  the  whole  appearance  of  the  building  is  exceed- 
ingly light  and  agreeable  ;  there  is  no  extravagant  display — 
no  ostentatious  ornament,  neither  is  there  any  barrenness  or 
show  of  poverty — every  thing  is  well  done,  and  the  place  is 
made  to  seat  six  thousand  persons,  with  standing  room  for 
two  thousand. 

A  building  such  as  this  is  unquestionably  one  of  the  sights 
of  London,  and  it  is  well  worthy  of  a  visit  on  its  own  account, 
to  say  nothing  of  the  minister.  But  a  visitor  who  would  ob- 
tain admission,  had  better  procure  the  entree  of  a  seat-holder, 
so  as  to  secure  an  early  admission ;  failing  in  this,  he  must  be 


-4  Suhhath  in  London.  173 

content  to  go  early,  wait  long,  and  take  liis  chance  of  stand- 
ing when  tlie  doors  are  opened. 

Mr.  Spui'geon  has  no  pulpit.  He  simply  jjpcupies  a  little 
spot  in  the  heel  of  the  first  gallery ;  from  which  place,  he  has 
as  good  a  command  of  his  congregation,  as  it  is  possible  to 
have  iii  so  largo  a  house.  His  congregation  is  above,  below, 
and  all  around  him.  The  seats  on  the  main  floor  are  amphithe-  « 
ater  style;  so  also  are  the  galleries. 

When  I  entered  the  house,  there  was  not  more  than  a  hun- 
dred people  there,  but  they  came  pouring  in  from  every  side, 
so  that  in  a  very  short  time,  every  part  of  the  house  was  well 
taken.  A  few  moments  after  the  doors  were  opened  for  the 
multitudes  who  stood  before  them,  the  aisles  were  filled  to  suffo- 
cation. Soon  the  pi*eacher  made  his  appearance,  in  company 
with  his  wife  and  two  sons.  He  seemed,  as  he  came  forward 
and  took  his  seat  by  the  table;  on  which  lay  the  Bible  and 
Hymn-Book,  as  if  wholly  unconscious  of  being  looked  at,  by 
about  seven  thousand  persons. 

During  the  reading  of  the  hymn,  he  entered  earnestly  into 
the  spirit  and  sentiment  of  every  line ;  and  before  singing,  he 
exhorted  all  the  people  to  praise  God.  The  singing  was  con- 
gregational, as  all  church  music  should  be,  and  seemed  to  lift 
the  people  on  angel  pinions,  up  to  the  third  heaven.  At  the 
close  of  the  hymn,  he  read  a  portion  of  Scripture,  stopping 
occasionally  to  make  an  apt  and  spiritual  application.  An- 
^  other  hymn  was  sung,  when  prayer  was  offered,  simple,  child- 
like, full  of  fervor,  and  thoroughly  spiritual.  Before  announc- 
ing his  text,  he  offered  up  a  short  invocation  for  the  assistance 
of  the  Holy  Ghost.     The  sermon  was  good,  and  with  it,  as  a 


174  Ramhles  through  the  British  Isles. 

whole,  I  was  much,  pleased ;  although  there  were  some  things 
which  I  could  not  indorse,  yet  there  was  so  much  directness, 
honesty,  and  holy  ardor  in  it,  that  my  heart  went  out  in 
prayer,  that  God  would  send  into  the  world  a  great  many  just 
such  preachers  as  C.  H.  Spurgeon. 

Before  he  began  his  discourse,  he  made  the  followii^g  an- 
^nouucement :  "  After  the  sermon  we  will  brealc  bread,  in  remem- 
berance  of  our  blessed  Lord.  All  members  of  the  Christian 
Church  are  invited  to  unite  with  us." 

So,  thinking  I  might  never  again  have  an  opportunity  of 
drawing  near  to  the  table  of  the  Lord,  in  a  Baptist  church,  I 
passed  down  to  the  basement  room,  in  company  with  the  lady 
and  her  husband,  whose  pew  I  shared  during  the  morning. 
"When  I  reached  the  foot  of  the  stairs,  a  gentleman  handed  me 
the  following  ticket : 

Newington' 
METEOPOLITAN  TABEENACLE. 

"  Love  unto  all  the  saints.'''' 

Soon  the  room  was  filled.  Then,  Mr.  Spurgeon  and  the 
elders  of  the  Church,  took  their  seats  around  a  table  on  the 
platform,  whicb  was  covered  with  a  white  cloth,  and  on  which 
was  placed  the  bread  and  wine.  A  hymn  was  sung,  in  which 
all  united.     It  was  indeed  good  to  be  there,  for 

"  Heaven  came  down  our  souls  to  gieet, 
While  glory  crowned  the  mercy-seat." 

The  singing  over,  the  preacher  said :  "  After  the  manner  of 
our  blessed  Lord,  who,  in  the  same  night  in  which  he  was  be- 


A  Sabhatli  in  London.  175 

trayod  '  took  bread  ;  and  when  lio  had  given  thanks' — let  us 
givo  thanks !  "  Then  followed  a  prayer  of  thanksgiving,  so 
full  of  love  to  the  Saviour,  that  we  forgot,  for  a  time,  where 
we  were,  and  thought  only  of  our  blessed  Lord,  his  sufferings 
and  death.  "And  when  he  had  given  thanks,  he  brake  the 
bread,  and  gave  thereof  to  his  disciples  " — aijd  after  the  num- 
ner  o£  our  Saviour,  he  broke  the  bread,  which  was  carried 
from  pew  to  pew,  by  the  waiting  elders.  Tlien  was  offered  up 
another  prayer,  after  which,  the  elders  passed  around  the  cup, 
of  which  we  all  drank. 

All  being  waited  upon,  the  minister's  voice  is  again  heard, 
still  in  the  language  of  Holy  Writ :  "  And  afterwards  they 
sang  a  hymn — let  us  too  sing  ;"  when,  with  tearful  eye,  and 
tremulous  voice,  lie  read : 

'•  If  in  life  I  have  tlij'  grace, 
And  al  death  behold  thy  face, 
Life  may  stay,  or  life  may  flee, 
Lord,  'tis  all  alike  to  me." 

And,  still  sitting  in  his  chair,  he  closed  the  service  with  a 
short  exhortation  and  the  benediction.  This  short,  simple, 
Clirist-like  service  was  very  refreshing;  I  enjoyed  it  very 
much.  And  often  shall  memory  wander  back  to  the  season  I 
sjient  under  the  instruction  of  one  of  the  greatest  preachers 
of  the  day. 

Just  before  the  morning  service  commenced,  I  asked  the  gen- 
tleman in  whose  pew  I  sat,  "  what  is  the  great  secret  of  Mr. 
Spurgeon's  success  V  His  answer  was  one  not  hastily  formed, 
but  arrived  at  after  many  years'  observation,  and  is  well  worthy 
of  thought.     Said  he,  "  Not  so  much  in  his  preaching,  as  in 


176  Rambles  through  the  British  Isles. 

his  power  to  keep  liis  people  at  work ! "  Then  pointing  me 
to  two  little  boys  in  the  gallery,  sons  of  Mr.  Spurgeon,  he 
said,  "  Even  those  little  fellows  are  at  work  every  day,  in 
leading  prayer-meetings,  and  exhorting  sinners  to  turn  to 
God ;  and  not  without  success,  for  many  in  this  Church  have 
been  led  to  Christ  through  their  labors."  I  could  not  help 
thinking,  well  after  all,  this  is  what  wo  ministers  need  more 
than  anything  else — ability  to  bring  out  and  develop  the 
latent  power  of  our  churches. 

If  I  should  be  asked  to  state  in  a  word,  in  what  Mr.  Spur- 
geon's  power  lies,  I  should  say,  laptized  earnestness!  He  is 
thoroughly  awake,  and  has  the  holy  unction,  which  gives  him 
boldness  to  stand  before,  and  success  in  laboring  for  the  good 
of,  perishing  humanity. 

"  How  beauteous  are  the  feet  of  those  who  bear 
Mercy  to  man,  glad  tidings  to  despair  1 
Far  from  the  mountain-top,  they  lovelier  seem 
Than  moonlight  dews,  or  morning's  rosy  beam ; 
Sweeter  the  voice  than  spell,  or  hymning  sphere, 
And  listening  angels  hush  their  harps  to  hear." 


"Shii5S— ships   overy where  1" 

XX. 

The  Thames  and  its  Sights. 


I  have  loved  the  rural  walk, 
O'er  hills,  through  valleys,  and  by  river's  brink, 
E'er  since  a  truant  boy  I  passed  my  bounds, 
To  enjoy  a  ramble  on  the  bank  of  Thames.  —Coivper. 

WTY'^CXtW*  HIS  noble  river  takes  its  rise  in  the  Cotswold 


h 


Hills.  On  its  seaward  course,  it  scj^arates 
BerksMre,  first  from  Oxfordshire,  aud  tlien 
(f"^  from  Buckinghamshire.  It  also  divides  the 
counties  of  Surrey  and  Middlesex,  Kent  and  Essex, 
and  after  a  course  of  two  hundred  and  ten  miles, 
empties  into  the  sea  at  the  Nore.  It  ebbs  and  flows 
**^-©  as  far  up  as  Richmond,  to  which  place,  also,  it  is 
navigable  for  large  craft.  At  London,  the  Thames  is  the  great- 
est of  all  thoroughfares  ;  and  this  is  owing  in  a  great  mgasure 
to  two  facts :  First,  the  cheapness  of  the  boat-fare,  and  in  the 
second  place,  to  the  absence  of  dust.  One  fact,  which  will  show 
■  how  well  the  river  is  patronized  as  a  great  highway  of  travel, 


178  Rambles  through  the   British  Isles. 

is,  that  the  steamboats,  passing  under  Waterloo  Bridge,  average 
over  one  every  minute.  Just  think  of  this — over  sixty  steam- 
vessels  every  hour,  with  other  craft  besides!  How  the  many 
steam  and  sailing  vessels  pass  and  repass  each  other,  without 
more  frequent  accident,  is  to  me  a  matter  of  perfect  astonish- 
ment. The  river  is  spanned  by  a  host  of  elegant  bridges,  such 
as  are  to  be  seen  nowhere  else.  Indeed,  it  is  Avorthy  of  a  trip 
to  London,  just  to  see  the  currents  of  carriages  and  foot- 
passengers,  pouring  to  and  fro  from  morning  till  night,  and 
from  night  till  morning,  over  these  bridges. 

One  of  the  greatest  curiosities  of  the  Thames,  is  the  tunnel 
which  runs  under  it,  from  Wapping  to  Rotherhithe,  in  Surrey. 
It  is  twelve  hundred  feet  ia  length,  and  consists  of  two  arches, 
side  by  side,  fourteen  feet  wide  and  seventeen  feet  high ;  the 
wall  dividing  the  arches  is  pierced  with  connecting  archways, 
and  the  whole  is  lighted  with  gas. 

A  brief  history  of  the  tunnel  will  not  be  out  of  place  just 
here. 
"In  March  1825,  a  space  being  marked  out  one  hundred  and 
fifty  feet  distant  from  the  river,  the  bricklayers  began  raising  a 
round  frame,  or  cylinder,  three  feet  thick,  and  one  hundred  and 
fifty  in  circumference.  This  was  strengthened  in  various  ways, 
by  iron  rods,  &c.,  passing  up  the  center  of  the  thickness  ;  and 
was  continued  to  the  height  of  forty-two  feet.  The  excavators 
now  commenced  their  work  on  the  iuside,  cutting  away  the 
grouiTd,  which  was  raised  to  the  top  of  the  shaft  by  a  steam- 
engine  there  placed,  and  which  also  relieved"  them  from  the 
water  that  occasionally  impeded  their  descent.  We  may  im- 
agine the  wonder  with  which  a  person  unacquainted  with  the " 


The  Thames  and  ih  Sir/hts-  179 

object  of  these  preparations,  must  have  l)ehel(l  that  enormous 
mass  of  masonry,  at  hist  beginning  to  descend  regularly  and 
peacefully  after  the  busy  pigmies  who  were  carving  the  Avay 
for  it,  and  at  the  same  time,  as  it  were,  accommodating  itself  to 
the  convenience  of  tlie  bricklayers,  who,  in  order  to  give  it  the 
additional  height  ro(xuired,  had  merely  to  keep  adding  to  the  top 
as  it  descended. 

"This  is  the  history  of  the  great  circular  opening,  into  which 
the  visitor  passes  from  the  little  lobby,  and  where  he  beholds, 
in  the  center,  an  elaborate  machinery  of  pumps,  connected  with 
a  steam-engine,  raising  its  four  hundred  gallons  per  minute. 
We  must  not  omit  to  observe,  with  regard  to  the  shaft,  that  by 
its  means  the  bed  of  gravel  and  sand,  twenty-six  feet  deep,  full 
of  land-water,  in  wliich  the  driftmakers  of  the  earlier  attempt 
had-  been  compelled  to  narrow  the  dimensions  of  their  already 
small  shaft,  was  passed  without  inconvenience.  We  may  add, 
■also,  that  when  the  shaft  was  sunk  to  its  present  depth  of  sixtj-- 
five  feet,  another  shaft,  of  twenty-five  feet  diameter,  was  sunk 
still  lower,  till,  at  the  depth  of  eighty  feet,  the  ground  suddenly 
gave  way,  sinking  several  feet,  whilst  sand  and  water  were 
blown  up  with  some  violence. 

"This  confirmed  the  statemer^  of  the  geologists,  and  satisfied 
the  engineer  as  to  the  propriety  of  the  level  he  had  chosen. 
The  shaft  accomplished,  the  tunnel  itself  was  begun  at  the 
depth  of  sixty-three  feet.  The  excavation  Mr.  Brunei  pro- 
posed to  make  from  bank  to  bank,  was  to  be  about  thirty-eight 
feet  broad,  and  twenty-two  and  a  half  feet  high,  which  1)eing 
defended  by  strong  walls,  was  to  leave  room  Avitliin  for  a 
double  archway,  each  fifteen  feet  high,  and  wide  enough  for 


180  Rambles  through  the  British   Isles. 

a  single  carriage-way  and  a  foot-path.  Tlie  mode  in  whicli 
this  great  excavation  was  accomplished  has  been  the  wonder 
and  admiration  of  the  most  experienced  engineers,  and  will 
forever  remain  a  monument  of  the  genius  of  its  author. 

"The  principal  instrument  employed  by  him,  was  a  huge 
frame,  or  sliield,  by  means  of  which  the  weight  of  the  superin- 
cumbent bottom  of  the  river  was  supported,  whilst  the  men 
who  were  undermining  the  river  were  sheltered  in  the  little 
cells  of  the  shield  below.  This  mighty  instrument — one  in 
idea  and  object,  but  consisting  of  twelve  separate  parts  or 
divisions,  each  containing  three  cells,  one  above  the  other — 
was  thus  used.  We  will  suppose  that,  the  work  being  finished 
in  its  rear,  an  advance  is  desired,  and  that  the  divisions  are  in 
their  usual  position — the  alternate  one  a  little  before  the  other  ; 
these  last  have  now  to  be  moved.  The  men  in  their  cells  pull 
down  the  top  poling-board,  one  of  these  small  defences,  with 
which  the  entire  front  of  the  shield  is  covered,  and  immediately 
cut  away  the  ground  for  about  six  inches.  That  done,  the 
poling-board  is  replaced  and  the  one  below  removed,  and  so 
on  till  the  entire  space,  in  front  of  these  divisions,  has  been 
excavated  to  the  dejjth  of  six  inches.  Each  of  the  divisions  is 
now  advanced,  by  the  application  of  two  screws,  one  at  its  head, 
and  one  at  its  foot — which,  rcstmg  against  tl^e  finished  brick- 
work, and  turned,  impel  it  forward  into  the  vacant  space.  The 
other  set  of  divisions  then  advance. 

"As  the  miners  are  at  work  at  one  end  of  the  cells,  so  the 
bricklayers  are  no  less  actively  employed  at  the  other,  forming 
the  brick  walls  of  the  top,  sides,  and  bottom— the  superincum- 
bent earth  of  the  top  being  still  held  up  by  the  shield  till  the 
bricklayers  have  finished. 


The  Thames  and  its  Sights.  181 

"This  is  but  a  rude  description  of  an  cugine,  almost  as  remark- 
able for  its  elaborate  orgauization,  as  for  its  vast  strength. 
Beneath  those  great  ii'on  ribs,  a  kind  of  meehauical  soul  really 
seemed  to  have  beeu  created.  It  had  its  shoes  and  its  legs,  and 
used  them,  too,  with  good  effect.  It  raised  and  depressed  its 
head  at  pleasure ;  it  presented  an  invincible  buttress  in  its 
front,  to  whatever  danger  might  there  threaten,  and,  when  the 
danger  was  past,  again  opened  its  breast  for  the  further 
advances  of  the  indefatigable  host.  In  a  word,  to  the  shield 
the  successful  formation  of  the  tunnel  was  entirely  owing. 

But,  great  as  was  the  contidence  of  !Mr.  Brunei  in  his  shield, 
and  the  resources  which  he  must  have  felt  he  had  within  him- 
self, ready  for  evci-y  difficulty,  it  is  impossible  that  he  could 
have  ever  anticipated  the  all  but  overwhelming  amount  of 
obstacles  that  he  actually  experienced,  jDrincipally  from  the 
character  of  the  soil,  and  the  extraordinary  influence  which  the 
tides  exercised,  even  at  the  tunnel's  depth.  The  tirst  nuie 
feet  of  the  tunnel  were  jjassed  through  firm  clay ;  then  came  a 
loose  Avatery  sand,  where  movement  was  made  with  imminent 
hazard.  Thirty-two  anxious  days  passed  in  this  part.  Sub- 
stantial ground  again  reached,  matters  went  on  jarosperously 
till  S^tember  following,  by  which  time  two  hundred  and  sixty 
feet  had  been  completed. 

"On  the  14th  of  that  month,  the  engineer  startled  the  Directors 
with  the  information  that  he  expected  the  bottom  of  the  river, 
just  beyond  the  shield,  would  break  down  with  the  coming 
tide.  It  appears  he  had  discovered  a  cavity  above  the  top  of 
the  shield.  Exactly  at  high  tide,  the  miners  heard  the  uproar 
of  the  falliug  soil  upon  the  head  of  their  good  shield,  and  saw 
13 


182  Ramlles  tJirough  the   Briiish  Isles. 

bursts  of  water  follow  ;  but  so  complete  were  the  precaution!?, 
that  no  injury  ensued,  and  tlie  cavitj'  was  soon  filled  by  tlie 
river  itself.  Another  mouth,  and  a  similar  occurreuce  took 
place. 

"By  the  33d  of  January,  1827,  three  hundred  and  fifty  feet 
were  accomplished,  Avhen  the  tide,  during  the  removal  of  the 
poling-boards,  forced  through  tlie  shield  a  quantity  of  loose 
clay ;  but  stiil  no  iiTuption  of  the  river  itself  followed — the  fear 
of  which,  from  the  coimuencement  to  the  termination  of  the 
work,  was  continually  upon  every  one's  mind. 

"This  was  the  first  of  a  series  of  disasters,  wliich  continued  to 
obstruct  their  progress  for  eight  long  years.  Difficulties  enough 
to  discourage  the  stoutest  heart,  and  would  have  discouraged 
Brunei,  had  he  been  an  ordinary  man. 

"At  last,  August  13th  came,  and  the  undertaking,  which  for 
years  had  been  called  a  "  failure,"  was  completed ;  and  he  who 
was  thought  to  be  worse  than  a  fool,  for  undertaking  the  work, 
now  stood  up  a  victor  over  all  the  elements — earth,  fire,  air, 
and  water!"  As  a  work  of  art,  of  perseverance,  and  of  the 
genius  of  Brunei,  the  Thames  Tunnel  is  a  grand  and  glorious 
achievement. 

No  one  should  think  of  leaving  London  without  visiti«g  the 
docks ;  they  are  one  of  the  greatest  sights  in  the  metropolis. 
In  them  is  seen  the  wealth  of  nations,  with  but  little  display ; 
for  it  does  not  show  itself  in  the  shape  of  gold  and  silver,  and 
glittering  gems,  but  under  the  guise  of  huge  misshapen  bales 
of  merchandize ;  rough,  ugly,  patched,  and  broken  hogsheads; 
dirty  casks,  and  ill-made  grassbags,  nauseous  hides,  and  musty 
oil-cake.     Here   are  represented  the  nations  by  the  different 


The  Thames  ami  its  Siejhts.  183 

exports — Ireland,  liy  l)attL'r  and  hams ;  Scotland,  l)y  grain, 
spirits,  and  crockerj- ;  France,  l)y  wines  and  fruits;  India,  1)y 
bags  of  rice,  and  casks  of  cocoa;  China  and  Japan,  l)y  tea  and 
coftee;  West  Indies,  by  sugar,  molasses,  and  rum;  Canada,  l)y 
timber  and  furs;  Africa,  by  ivory,  palm-oil,  and  nuts;  South 
America,  by  dried  fruit,  and  dye-woods ;  and  the  United 
States,  liy  sugar,  cotton,  tobacco,  and  grain.  Here  come  jieople 
of  all  nations  and  tongues,  strong  believers  in  the  religion  of 
commercial  gain.  For  this  interview,  men  have  toiled  under 
Africa's  burning  sun,  and  in  the  Baltic's  icy  billows  ;  for  this, 
they  have  braved  the  storm,  and  wreck,  and  danger,  of  "Old 
ocean's  gray  and  melancholy  waste." 

It  must  not  be  supposed  that  the  London  docks,  bear  any 
resemblance  to  the  docks  of  New  York,  or  Boston,  which  are 
simply  piers,  or  openings  between  piers.  The  London  docks 
are  vast  inland  harbors,  and  only  connected  to  the  river  by 
canals,  enclosed  by  heavy  gates,  which  open  when  the  tide  is 
in,  and  close  when  it  begins  to  ebb,  so  that  the  shipping  in  the 
docks  are  never  troubled  liy  low  water. 

Just  a  little  below  the  Tower,  are  the  St.  Catherine  Docks,  and 
though  the  first  I  will  notice,  yet  they  are  not  by  any  means  the 
largest  in  the  port  of  London.  At  the  entrance,  arc  thousands 
of  carts  and  wagons,  waiting  to  l)e  employed  by  whoever  has 
merchandize  to  be  removed.  The  first  thing  which  drew  my 
attention  here,  were  the  lofty  walls,  speaking  security.  The 
sjiace  enclosed,  is  about  twenty-three  acres,  divided  into  the 
wet  and  dnj  docks — the  former  will  accommodate  one  hundred 
and  twenty  ships,  beside  barges,  and  other  craft.  Under  the 
warehouses,  are  vaults,   which  serve  the  double  purpose  of 


184  Rambles  through  the  British  Isles. 

store-liouses  for  tlia  wines,  and  at  the  same  time  keeiiing  them 
cool;  these  are  five  stories  high,  and  capable  of  holding 
over  one  hundred  thousand  tons  of  goods.  The  caua],  leading 
from  the  river,  to  the  harbor,  is  one  hundred  and  five  teet  long, 
forty-five  feet  broad,  and  •wUl  float  with  ease  a  ship  of  seven 
hundred  tons  burden. 

The  London  Docks  are  separated  from  St.  Catherine's  by 
Nightingale  Lane ;  they  comprise  an  area  of  over  one  hundred 
acres,  and  cost  over  twenty  million  dollars;  and  the  wall  alone, 
by  which  they  are  surrounded,  three  millions  more.  The  tobacco 
warehouses  alone,  cover  five  acres  of  ground,  and  are  rented  by 
the  government  at  seventy  thousand  dollars  a  year.  They  can 
hold  twenty-four  thousand  hogsheads  of  tobacco,  averaging 
twelve  hwadred  pounds  each,  besides  having  room  in  tlie  vaults 
beneath  for  seventy  thousand  pipes  of  wine.  The  alleys  and 
passes,  through  the  different  floors,  are  bordered  on  both  sides 
by  hogsheads  of  the  pernicious  weed.  On  the  first  floor,  near  the 
northeast  corner,  is  a  door,  on  which  are  the  words,  "  To  the 
Kiln."  This  is  a  place  where  damaged  tobacco,  and  many 
other  tilings,  not  worth  paying  duty  on,  are  burned ;  the  long 
stack  which  carries  off'  the  smoke  from  this  fire,  is  called  the 
"  Queen''s  Tobacco-pipe.''''     "Would  that  all  pijies  were  like  this ! 

The  Commercial  Docks  lie  on  the  south  side,  and  are  in  point 
of  extent  greater  than  the  London  Docks.  They  have  no 
expensive  warehouses,  and  are  principally  used  by  the  timber 
trade,  and  such  things  as  will  not  be  injured  by  exposure. 
About  a  mile  and  a  half  from  the  London  Docks,  situated  on 
the  "  Isle  of  Dogs,"  are  the  East  and  West  India  Docks,  which 
cover  tico  hundred  and  ninety-Jive  acres  of  ground.     At  the  en- 


The  Thames  and  its  Sights.  185 

trance  on  the  east,  is  a  statue  of  the  ofRccr  who  presided  wlicn 
Pitt  laid  the  first  stone.  The  vaults  here,  arc  said  to  be  the 
largest  in  the  world,  and  the  warehouses  are  capable  of  holding- 
over  two  himdred  thousand  tons  of  merchandize. 

All  arrangements  connected  with  these  docks,  secure  the  two 
great  desiderata  of  commercial  s^tccess — economy  and  dispatch. 
The  grand  floors  of  most  of  the  warehouses,  have  an  oi)eumg 
towards  the  basin,  througli  which  the  cargoes  arc  raised 
directly  out  of  the  ships — thus  saving  the  time  and  labor  of  the 
old  plan  of  depositing  them  on  the  quay.  In  rambling  through 
these  store-houses  of  the  nation's  wealth,  and  in  studying  the 
eflFects  of  the  commingling  of  nationalities  in  this  busy  mart  of 
commerce,  I  thought  of  the  beauty  and  force  of  Addison's 
words,  where  he  says,  in  referring  to  the  advantages  of  com- 
merce upon  nations  : 

"  I  am  wonderfully  delighted  to  see  a  body  of  men  thriving 
in  their  own  fortunes,  and  at  the  same  time  promoting  the  pub- 
lic stock ;  or,  in  other  words,  raising  estates  for  their  own  fam- 
ilies, by  bringing  into  their  country,  whatever  is  superfluous. 
Nature  seems  to  have  taken  a  particular  care  to  disseminate  her 
blessings  among  the  regions  of  the  world,  with  an  eye  to  their 
mutual  intercourse  and  traffic  among  mankind,  that  the  nations 
of  the  several  parts  of  the  globe  might  have  a  kind  of  depend- 
ence upon  one  another,  and  be  united  by  their  common  in- 
terests." 


'  Thcic  the  wicked  ce isc  fiom  tioiibling" 

XXI. 

Graves   of  the   Giieat   anb  Good. 

The  dead,  how  sacred  I  sacred  is  the  dust 

Of  this  heaven-lahored  form,  erect,  divine  \— Thomson. 

^J^  fy^  "o"  -^  AVING  a  great  desire  to  see  City  Eoacl  Chapel 
^  ^ifS^'-'^iP  while  in  London,  I  made  out  to  spend  a  part 
^^KS  °^  ^  Sabbath  within  its  sacred  walls.  The 
lOi  >^  day  I  visited  it,  tbe  regular  minister  was 
absent,  and  his  place  was  supplied  by  a  stranger 
Here  it  was,  on  the  occasion  of  the  laying  of 
the  foundation  in  1777,  John  Wesley  preached  a  ser- 
mon from  the  words,  "  According  to  this  time,  it  sball 
be  said.  What  hath  God  wrought ! "  And  now,  after  the  lapse 
of  almost  a  hundred  years,  his  sons  in  the  gospel  take  up  the 
same  text,  and  in  looking  at  what  has  been  accomplished,  ex- 
claim in  holy  triumph,  ♦'  What  hath  God  wrought ! " 

The  building  is  composed  of  brick,  with  cut  stone  trimming, 
and  is  still  good  ;  it  must  have  been  considered  more  than 
common  in  its  day.  It  stands  in  from  the  street,  about  one 
hundred  feet,  and  cannot  be  seen  until  it  is  reached.     The  in-* 


Graves  of  the  Great  and  Good.  187 

ternal  arrangeiuents  are  neat  aud  comfortable.     I  believe  the 

only  material  change  which  has  taken  place,  since  Mr.  Wesley's 

day,  is  the  lowering  of  the  pulpit,  which  is  still  high  enough. 

I  spent  some  time  in  the  old  graveyard,  in  the  rear  of  the 

chapel.     Here  sleeps  the  dust  of  Wesley.     A  stone  monument 

is  erected  over  his  giave,  on  which  is  inscribed  the  following : 

The    grateful    Record 

of  the  place  made  sacred  by  the 

Mortal  Remains 
of    the  venerable   and  Apostolic 

"Wesley, 

Was  fii-st  erected,  A.  D.,MDCCXC. 

But  modified  and  enlarged,  A.  D.,  MDCCCIV., 

During  the  centenary  of  Methodism, 

At  the  expense  and  tinder  the  direction  of 

His  sous  and  successors  in  the  Christian  ministry, 

The  Methodist  Conference, 

in  token  of 

Their  filial   admiration ,*reverence  and   love. 

On  the  pedestal  is  the  following  : 

To    the  memory  of 

The  venerable  John  Wesley,  A.  M., 

Late  Fellow  of  Lincoln  College,  Oxford.  * 

This   Great  Light  arose 

(By  the  singular  Providence  of  God) 

To  enlighten  these  nations, 

And  to  revive,  enforce  and  defend, 

The  Pure  Apostolic  Doctrines  and  Practices  of 

The  PRiiiiTivE  Church, 


188  Rambles  through  the  British  Isles. 

Which  he  continued  to  do,  by  his  Writi>'GS  and  his 

L^LBorES, 

For  more  than  Half  a  Centuby, 

And  to  his  expressible  Joy, 

Not  only  beheld  their  I^^fluexce    extending, 

And  th^  Efficacy   witnessed, 

In  the  Hearts  and  lives  of  many  tuousands, 

'  As  well  in  the  Western  World  as  in  these 

Kingdoms; 

But  also,  far  above  all  human  Power  or  experience, 

Lived  to  see  provision  made,  by  the  Singular  Gkace  op 

God, 

For  their  Continuance  and   Establishment, 

To  the  Joy  of  Future  Gexeratioxs  ! 

Reader,  If  thou  art  constrained  to  bless  the  Iis'STRUMENT, 

Give  God  the  Glory! 
After  having   languished  a  few  days,  He  at  length  finished 
his  Course    and  his  Life  together:  gloi'iously 
triumphing   over#DEATH,  March  2,  An. 
Bom.  1791,  in  the  Eighty- eighth  Year 
of    his  age. 
Near  by,    are  the  tombs  of  Clarke,  Benson,   and  Watson. 
Fellow-laborers  in   life — keeping  company,  even    in  death. 
Who  could  stand  in  such  a  place  as  this,  without  the  deep- 
est emotions  ?     They  are  not  dead !  they  live,  "  and  hold  their 
way  in  glory  through  the  sky." 

Having  satisfied  myself  in  strolling  among  the  tombs  of 
this  sacred  spot,  I  crossed  over  the  street  in  front  of  tlie  chapel, 
to  the  celebrated  Bunhill  Fields,  where  the  bodies  of  so  many 


Graves  of  tlm  Great   and  Good.  189 

of  the  old  nonconformist  ministers,  await  the  voice  of  God. 
and  the  Archangel's  trump. 

Here  is  the  grave  of  the  immortal  Bunyan,  of  itself  worthy 
of  a  pilgrimage.  A  common  stone  slab,  mutilated,  time  worn, 
and  much  neglected,  covers  it,  Looking  at  it,  my  first  impres- 
sion was  one  of  sadness,  but  on  second  thought,  this  feeling 
gave  place  to  joyous  emotions.  What  though  the  inscription 
ou  his  tombstone  be  eifaced,  his  memory  is  fresh  and  more 
fragrant  than  ever  ;  his  true  monument  cannot  be  touched  by 
the  wasting  hand  of  time;  it  shall  never  crumble,*its  inscrip- 
tion shall  never  grow  old — for  it  is  writen  upon  the  heart  of  a 
christian  world !  And  there  is  the  grave  of  him  whose  sacred 
poetry  is  sung  in  all  our  churches — Dr.  Watts.  Under  his 
name,  age,  and  date  of  his  death,  is  the  following  touching  in- 
scription, which  at  his  own  request  was  thereon  inscribed: 
"Iiumo  Jesu  omiiia."  Close  to  it  is  the  sleeping  dust  of  Mrs. 
Susannah  Wesley,  the  mother  of  John  and  Charles.  At  the 
head  of  the  grave,  stands.a  plain  stone,  with  the  following  in- 
scription : 

HERE 

lies  the  body  of 

Mrs.   Susannah  Wesley, 

the  youngest 

and  last  surviving  daughter  o£ 

Dr.  Samuel  Annesly, 

who  died  July  23rd,  1742, 

Aged   73  years. 


190  Rambles  through  the  British  Isles. 

"  In  sure  and  steadfast  hope  to  rise 
And  claim  her  mansiou  in  the  sliics 
A  Christian  here  her  flesh  laid  down, 
The  cross  exchanging  for  a  crown. 

True  daughter  of  affliction  i  she 
Inured  to  pain  and  misery, 
Mourned  a  long  night  of  griefs  and  fears, 
A  legal  night  of  seventy  years. 

The  Father  then  revealed  1^  Son— 
Him  in  the  broken  hiead  made  known  ; 
She  knew  and  felt  her  sins  forgiven, 
•  And  found  the  earnest  of  her  heaven. 

Meet  for  the  fellowship  above. 
She  heard  the  call,  Arise  my  love ! 
I  come  I  her  dying  looks  replied, 
And  lamb-like  as  her  Lord   she  died." 

John  Newton  sleeps  in  St.  Mary's,  where  he  labored  for 
many  years.  A  tablet,  bearing  an  inscription  written  by  him- 
self, reads  as  follows : 

"  John  Newton — once  an  iufidel  and  libertine,  a  servant  of 
slaves  in  Africa — was,  by  the  rich  mercy  of  cm-  Lord  and 
Saviour  Jesus  Christ,  preserved,  restored,  pardoned,  and  ap- 
pointed to  preach  the  faith  he  once  labored  to  destroy." 

In  All  Hallow's  Church,  Milton  was  baptized,  and  in  St. 
Giles',  his  dust  rests  in  peace.  In  the  latter  church  sleeps 
Fox,  the  author  of  the  Book  of  Martyrs,  a  work  which  should 
have  a  place  in  the  home  of  every  Protestant  family  of  the 
jjresent  day.  In  Christ's  Church,  the  body  of  Eichard  Baxter 
waits  the  morning.  In  St.  Paul's  churchyard,  Drs.  Donne, 
Marlow  and  Butler  await  the  resurrection  of  the  just.  Pope 
is  buried  in  the  old  graveyard  at  Twickenham,  along  with  his 


•         Graves  of  the  Great  and  Good.  101 

parents  and  relations.     Ou  his  mouumeut  arc  tho  following 

lines: 

Alexander  Pope. 
M.  H. 

Gulimas   Episcopus. 

Glouccstcriensis   Amiciti09 

Causa.    Fa'c.   Cur. 

^IDCCLXI. 
Pocta    Loquitur. 
Yox  who  would  be  buried  in  Westmiuster  Abbey, 
Heroes  and  kings,  your  distance  keep, 
In  peace  let  one  poor  poet  sleep, 
Who  never  flattered  folks  like  you : 
Let  Homer  blush,  and  Virgil  too  I 
In  the  old  church  of  St.  Mary's,  Eiclimond,  in  a  dark  corner, 
is  a  plain  brass  plate,  tarnished  and  time  worn,  bearing  the 
following  inscription  : 

In  the  Earth  below  this  Tablet, 

are  the  remains  of 

James  Thomson, 

Author  of  the  beautiful  Poems  entitled  the  Seasons, 

Castle   of  Indolence,  etc. 
Who  died  at  Richmond,  on  the  2Tth  day  of  August, 

and  was  buried  here  on  the  29th,  old  style,  1748, 

The  Earl  of  Buchau,  unwilling  that  so  good  a  man, 

And  so  sweet  a  Poet,  should  remain  without  a  memorial, 

has  denoted  the  place  of  interment  for  the 
satisfaction  of  his  admirers,  m  the  year  of  our  Lord,  1792 
Father  of  light  and  life  I  thou  Good  Supreme  I 
O  teach  me  what  is  good  '  teach  me  Thyself  I 
Save  me  from  folly,  vanity  and  vice, 
From  every  low  pursuit,  and  feed  my  soul 
With  knowledge,  conscious  peace,  and  virtue  pure  ; 
Sacred,  substantial,  never-fading  bliss  l—irtn(«r. 
'=  Blessed  are  the  dead  who  die  in  the  Lord." 


■  Family  puiluculeUaiUB  manj  uu-oaal  oijinione." 

XXII. 

The  Haunts  of  Eotalty. 

A  Sovereign's  great  example  forms  a  people; 
The  public  breast  is  noble,  or  is  vile, 
As  he  inspires  it. — Mallet. 

ITUATI;D  at  tlie  west  end  of  St.  James'  Park, 
is  Buckingham  Palace,  the  city  residence  of 
Victoria — by  no  means  a  kingly  structure. 
I  was  much  surprised  when  told  that  it  was 
th^  metropolitan  home  of  the  Royal  Family.  It 
bears  more  the  appearance  of  a  large  hotel,  or  com- 
mercial building,  than  the  residence  of  England's 
Queen.  They  call  it  "  Buckingham  Palace,"  from  the 
fact,  that  on  the  site  where  it  is  built  once  stood  the  house  of 
John  Sheffield,  Duke  of  Buckingham.  The  front  is  ornamented 
with  statues  of  Prudence,  Temperance,  Fortitude,  Faith,  Hope, 
and  Charity ;  and  in  the  center  of  the  facade  is  an  arch,  with  a 
balcony,  on  either  side  of  which  are  colossal  figures  of  St. 
George  and  the  Dragon,  and  Britannia,  with  the  British  Lion. 
On  St.  James-street,  is  the  o'lce  noted  St.  James'  Palace,  the 
very  mention  of  which  makes  one  think  of  blood,  murder,  and 
hobgoljlins. 


TJu}  Haunts  of  Royalty.  193 

It  looks  much  like  an  old  brick  and  stone  foctory,  and  I 
could  hardly  m^ke  myself  believe  that  it  was  the  city  home  of 
kings  and  queens,  down  to  the  days  of  George  IV.  In  it  died 
Queen  jMary  and  Caroline,  wife  of  George  II.,  and  here  James 
the  Pretender,  Charles  11.,  and  George  IV.,  fii'st  saw  the  light. 
Many  are  the  dark  and  scandalous  deeds  once  enacted  in  this 
old  pile,  over  which  Time,  in  mercy,  has  thrown  her  mantle  of 
mist  and  clouds.  On  our  way  from  the  castle,  we  passed  by 
the  house  in  which  Lord  Byron  lived,  and  where  Gibbon,  the 
historian,  died. 

Situated  on  the  Thames,  near  Westminster,  is  Whitehall,  the 
old  Banqueting  House,  or  York  Place,  where  Charles  I.  was 
executed.  Whitehall  was  built  during  the  reign  of  Henry  IH., 
who  bequeathed  it  to  the  convent  of  the  Black  Friars.  Time 
has  robbed  it  of  all  its  attraction,  if,  as  a  building,  it  ever  had 
any,  and  it  is  only  in  connection  with  its  past  history,  that  it  is 
at  all  worth  the  traveler's  time  to  turn  .aside  to  notice  it. 
Its  last  archiepiscopal  owner  was  Wolsey,  who  rebuilt  it  and 
gave  it  to  the  king,  who  changed  its  name  from  York  Place  to 
Whitehall.  Shakspeare  refers  to  this  change  in  his  "  Henry 
Vin.,"  where  one  gentleman  gives  to  two  others,  a  description 
of  the  coronation  of  Anne  Boleyn : 

\st  Gent.  So  she  parted, 

And  with  the  same  full  state,  paced  back  again 

To  York  Place,  where  the  feast  is  held. 
3d  Gent.  Sir, 

You  must  no  more  call  it  York  Tlace,  that  is  past : 

For  since  the  Cardinal  fell,  that  is  lost; 

'Tis  now  the  king's,  and  called  Whitehall. 
1st  Gent.  I  know  it; 

But  'tis  so  lately  alter'd,  that  the  old  name 

Is  fresh  about  me. 


194  RamUes  through  the  British  Isles. 

The  only  thing  worthy  of  notice  is  the  ceiling  of  the  princi- 
pal room,  now  the  chapel,  which  was  painted  %  Rubens,  who 
received  fifteen  thousand  dollars  for  his  work.  Over  the  chapel 
altar  are  arranged  various  flags  and  eagles,  which  were  cap- 
tured in  battle.  During  the  time  of  George  I.,  he  granted  a 
yearly  salary  of  fitteen  hundred  dollars,  to  twelve  clergymen 
(six  from  each  university)  who  officiate  here,  monthly,  in  due 
succession. 

One  of  the  most  noted  old  castle-like  buildings  in  London,  is 
Lambeth  Palace.  It  is  situated  on  the  south  bank  of  the 
Thames,  almost  opposite  the  Houses  of  Parliament,  and  is  the 
residence  ot  the  Archbishop  of  Canterbm'y.  It  was  built  by 
piecemeal,  and  lacks  regularity.  In  this  palace,  for  a  time, 
lived  Archbishojjs  Abbot,  Juxon,  Laud,  Sheldon,  Tenison, 
Seeker,  Craumer,  and  others.  For  a  minister  of  the  Gospel  to 
support  such  an  establishment  as  the  Fathers  were  wont  to  do, 
would  require  a  wition  of  Church  and  State,  and  that  a  pretty 
strong  one.  For  instance,  look  at  the  list  of  Bishop  Cranmer's 
household.  It  is  said  to  have  comprised  a  steward,  treasurer, 
comptroller,  janitors,  clerk  cf  the  kitchen,  caterer,  clerk  of  the 
spicery,  yeoman  of  the  ewry,  bakers,  pantlers,  yeoman  of  the 
horse,  yeoman  ushers,  butlers  of  wine  and  ale,  larderers,- 
squilleries,  ushers  of  the  hall,  porter,  usher  of  the  chamber, 
daily  waiters  in  the  great  chaml^er,  gentlemen  ushers,  yeomen 
of  the  chamber,  carver,  cup-bearer,  groom  of  the  chamber, 
marshal,  groom-usher,  almoner,  cooks,  chandler,  butchers, 
master  of  the  horse,  yeoman  of  the  wardrobe,  and  harbingers. 
The  state  observed,  of  course,  corresponded  with  such  a  retinue. 
There  was  generally  three  tables  spread  in  the  hall,  and  served 


The  JIatuifs  of  Moi/a/ti/.  195 

at  the  same  time,  at  the  first  of  wliicli  sat  the  Avchljishoji,  siir- 
i\)unde(.l  by  peers  of  the  reahu,  privy  couucillors,  and  gentle- 
men of  the  greatest  quality ;  at  the  second,  called  the  almoner's 
table,  sat  the  chaplains,  and  all  other  clerical  guests  below  the 
rank  of  diocesan  bishops,  or  abbots;  and  at  the  third,  or  stew- 
ard's table,  sat  all  the  other  gentlemen  invited.  The  suffragan 
bishops,  by  this  arrangement,  sat  at  the  second,  or  almoner's 
table;  and  it  was  noted,  as  an  especial  aggravation  of  the 
ingratitude  of  Richard  Thornden  to  Cranmer,  in  conspiring 
against  him,  that  the  Archbishop  had  invited  Thornden,  his 
suti'ragan,  to  his  own  tal)le. 

Shortly  after  the  thorough  establishment  of  the  Church  of 
England,  these  suffragan,  or  rather  assistant,  bishops,  were 
discontinued.  Cardinal  Pole  had  a  patent  from  Philip  and 
Mary  to  retain  one  hundred  servants,  hence  we  may  judge 
that,  in  his  hands,  the  magnificence  and  hospitality  of  Lambeth 
Palace  did  not  degenerate  much. 

The  dining-hall,  which  was  one  of  the  largest  and  most  ele- 
gant of  its  day,  has  been  turned  into  a  library,  and  contains 
some  thirty-five  or  forty  thousand  volumes.  This  library  had 
its  origin  with  Archbishop  Bancroft,  who  dying  in  1610,  left  it 
to  "  his  successors,  the  Archbishops  of  Canterbury,  forever,  a 
great  and  famous  library  of  books  of  divinity,  and  of  many 
other  sorts  of  learning."  In  the  chapel  of  the  palace,  which 
was  erected  in  the  twelth  century,  sleeps  the  dust  of  a  munber 
of  the  early  Archbishops,  and  at  the  western  extremity  of  the 
same,  is  the  infamous  Lollard's  Tower. 

The  place  in  which  so  many  were  cruelly  incarcerated  in  the 
miscalled  "  good  old  days  of  yore,"  is  a  small  room,  wainscoted 


196  Rainhles  tlwoiujh  the  British  Isles. 

with  oak,  on  which  are  still  to  be  seen  the  names  of  Some  who 
suliered  here.  As  I  gazed  at  the  large  rusty  iron  rings  iu  the 
walls,  to  which  the  Lollards  and  others  were  fastened,  I  could 
not  but  thank  God  for  living  in  the  nineteenth  century !  Could 
we  but  know  the  separate  liistory  of  the  men  whose  hand- 
writing is  on  the  walls  of  this  prison,  what  glorious  revelations 
might  be  brought  to  light,  of  faith,  patience,  and  long-sufiering! 

Hampton  Court  is  about  twelve  miles  from  London,  and 
situated  in  one  of  the  most  delightful  spots  in  the  kingdom. 
On  our  way  to  this  old  palace — once  the  home  of  royalty,  now 
of  decayed  aristocracy — we  passed  the  houses  in  which  Thom- 
son, Pope,  Gay,  and  Cowley,  lived  and  sung. 

We  no  longer  wonder  that  these  poets  should  have  so  much 
of  nature  in  their  songs,  for  here  she  clothes  herself  in  her  most 
attractive  gtirb.  Here,  indeed,  she  is  adorned  with  loveliness 
beyond  comparison. 

"  Heavens  I  what  a  goodly  prospect  spreads  around, 
Of  hills,  and  dales,  and  woods,  and  lawns,  and  spires, 
And  glittering  towers,  and  gilded  streams,  till  all 
The  Btretchlng  landscape  into  smoke  decays." 

Hampton  Court  is  now  one  of  the  many  resorts  for  the  Lon- 
don public,  for  whom  its  doors,  parks,  and  gardens  have  been 
thrown  open.  In  it  on  every  day  of  the  week,  except  Friday, 
may  be  seen  thousands  of  visitors  from  London,  and  the  sur- 
rounding cities  and  villages.  To  this  place,  come  lovers,  of 
course,  and  brothers  and  sisters,  and  whole  families,  down  to 
the  "  baby  in  arms." 

"  Forth  from  the  crowded  city's  dust  and  noise, 
Wander  abroad  to  taste  pure  nature's  joys ; 
To  laugh,  and  sport,  and  spend  the  livelong  day 
In  harmless  merriment  and  jocund  play." 


^^b^. 


The  Jl.uuit^  of  Royalty.  197 

Of  all  the  houses  in  England,  Hampton  Court  is  the  richest 
in  plans  of  shame,  crime,  and  bloodshed.  -  It  was  built  by 
Cardinal  Wolsey,  the  prime-minister  of  Henry  VHI.,  wl;o  rose 
fi-om  obscurity  to  be  the  owner  of  a  palace  more  gorgeous  than 
that  of  his  king.  Wolsey,  liowever,  did  not  enjoy  it  as  his  own 
for  many  days;  his  style  ot  living,  and  magnificence  of  state, 
created  much  envy  on  the  part  of  the  nobility,  and  Henry  him- 
self grew  jealous  that  a  subject  should  have  a  nobler  palace 
than  his  king.  In  1526,  Wolsey,  feeling  the  pressure  of  circum- 
stances, surrendered  the  whole  to — his  master.  After  it  became 
the,home  of  Henry,  one  building  after  another  was  added  to  it, 
"until  it  became  more  like  a  city  than  a  home."  Here  Edward 
VI.,  was  born,  and  his  mother,  Jane  Seymour,  died.  In  this 
palace,  was  held  the  famous  conference  between  the  Presby- 
terian and  Established  Church,  which  resulted  in  the  i^resent 
translation  of  the  English  Bible,  James  I.  presiding;  and  in 
it,  Charles  I.  spent  many  of  his  earlier  and  happier  days,  as 
well  as  some  of  his  litest  and  most  anxious. 

William  IH.  made  this  his  ordinary  residence,  and  to  him  it 
owes  much  of  its  present  attractiveness.  It  was  in  the  beautiful 
park  to  the  west  of  the  court,  where  he  received  his  fatal 
injury,  his  horse  falling  under  him. 

In  this  place.  Queen  Anne  Itept  her  court  for  some  time.  Pope 
has  immortalized  her  name   and  fome,  in  the  following  lines : 

"  Here  thou,  great  Anne  I  whom  three  great  realms  obey, 
Dost  sometimes  counsel  take— and  sometimes  tea. 
Hither  the  heroes  and  the  nymphs  resort, 
To  taste  awhile  the  pleasures  of  a  court ; 
In  various  talk,  th'  instructive  hours  they  past, 
Who  gave  the  ball,  or  paid  the  visit  last  : 
14 


198  RamUes  through  the  British   Isles. 

One  speaks  the  glory  of  the  British  Queen, 
And  one  describes  a  charming  Indian  screen; 
A  third  interprets  motions,  looks,  and  eyes; 
At  every  word,  a  reputation  dies. 
Snuff,  or  the  fan,  supply  each  pause  of  chat, 
With  singing,  laughing,  ogling,  and  all  that."' 

Tlie  palace  is  divided  into  three  courts ;  namely,  the  outer 
court,  which  is  one  hundred  and  sixty-seven  feet  by  one  hun- 
dred and  sixty-one  feet ;  the  Clock  Court,  which  is  one  hundred 
and  thirty-three  feet  by  ninety-two  i'eet ;  and  the  Fountain 
Court,  which  was  built  by  Sir  Christopher  Wren,  the  architect 
of  St.  Paul's,  and  in  which  are  the  state-rooms,  is  about  one 
hundred  and  ten  feet  by  one  hundred  and  seven.  The  whole 
building  is  of  red  brick,  with  cut-stone  trimming.  The  west 
front  is  called  one  of  the  finest  specimens  of  the  Tudor  archi- 
tecture extant.  In  the  main  state-room,  which  is  gorgeously 
decorated,  and  which  is  open  for  public  inspection,  are  a  num- 
ber of  pictures,  by  masters  of  all  schools,  from  the  days  of 
Raphael  and  Holbein,  to  the  commencement  of  the  present  cen- 
tury. Having  taken  a  hurried  glance  at  the  king's  j^resence- 
cliamber,  audience-chanil^er,  drawing-room,  bed  rooms,  and 
many  others  too  numerous  to  mention,  we  passed  out  to  the 
great  eastern  front,  where  the  prospect  is  singularly  imposing. 
In  the  distance  is  Bushy  Park,  abounding  with  deer,  and 
skirted  by  beautiful  chestnut  trees.  To  the  right,  is  a  broad" 
terrace,  bounded  by  velvet  lawns,  with  here  and  there  a  knot 
of  the  gayest  flowers;  the  view  terminating  on  each  side  in  a 
group  of  fine  old  English  yews. 

At  the  south-west  corner,  is  the  entrance  to  the  private  gar- 
den, with   its   raised   terraces,   formal    flower-beds,    and   long 


The  Haunts  of  lloijaUy. 


199 


arcades.  IIli'c,  too,  is  the  celebrated  grape  viuc — the  largest 
ill  the  world.  It  is  a  black  Hamburg grapc^ and  bears  annually 
over  half  a  ton's  weight  of  delicious  fruit  As  a  whole,  Hampton 
Court  is  without  ct)iiiparisou ;  its  royal  park,  cousisting  of  over 
a  thousand  acres,  through  which  runs  one  of  the  most  superb 
avenues  of  limes  and  chestnuts  in  the  world ;  its  gardens  and 
parks  are  beautiful — the  whole  a  national  monument  much  in 
keeping  with  the  good  sense  of  the  English  people 


XXIIL 


Oxford. 

Fair  city,  wherein  they  make 
So  many  learned  imps,  that  ehoote  abrode, 
And  witli  tlieir  tranches  spread  all  Brittany.— .Spewser. 

OXFORD,  tlae  seat  of 
classical  learning,  of 
lofty  spires,  pinnacles, 
and  Gothic  towers,  is 
situated  in  the  midst  of 
a  group  of  grand  old 
trees,  on  the  bank  of 
the  Isis.  As  you  ap- 
proach the  place,  the 
■whole  city  lies  out  be- 
fore you — its  numerous 
steeples  and  domes  giv- 
ing it  a  grandeur  of 
appearance  extremely 
rare.  The  houses  are  of 
stone  and  -vrell  finished ; 
colleges  are  to  be  met  with  on  almost  every  street,  with  their 
high  walls,  vener.ilile  and  warlike.  He  who  could  ramble 
through  these  quadrangles  of  ancient  masonry,  without  emo- 
t.ons  strong  and  moving,  is  beyond  hope.  No  one  at  all  sus- 
ceptible of  feeling,  can  think  of  the  men,  who  once  walked 
those  streets,  and  were  drilled  within  these  crumbling  walls. 


\Iisi*=** 


Oxford.  201 

■witlioiit  being  deeply  impressed  with  tlic  cluiractor  of  the 
phice.  Here  were  sehooled  men  whoso  names  stmul  highe.>t 
on  the  roll  of  fame;  men  who  achieved  some  of  the  greatest 
deeds,  made  some  of  the  most  triumphant  discoveries,  and 
Avho  have  written  some  of  the  most  important  pages  in  the 
world's  history.  All  Hail !  thou  Alma  Mater  of  Wickliflf,  Wol- 
sey,  Raleigh,  Blackstone,  Hampden,  Hooker,  Taylor,  Butler, 
Young,  Johnson,  South,  Harvey,  Peel,  Whitelield  and  the 
Wesleys.  In  Oxford  they  have  what  no  other  city  in  the  world 
can  boast,  ni/ietecii  collctjes  and  one  university.  A  month  would 
not  suflB.ce  for  a  description,  and  no  pen  can  convey  anything 
but  a  very  faint  idea  of  thoughts  awakened,  and  emotions 
kindled,  by  a  ramble  among  these  glorious  old  literary  haunts. 
The  University  is  a  school  for  all  the  colleges,  and  its  corpo- 
ration is  styled  ".the  Chancellor, Masters,  and  Scholars  of  the 
University  of  Oxford."  Connected  with,  or  more  properly 
speaking,  constituting  the  imieerdty,  are  the  nineteen  colleges, 
with  various  halls.  Each  college  "is  governed  by  a  head 
elected  for  life,  and  called  principal,  president,  master,  warden, 
rector,  provost  or  dean,  and  has  its  own  statutes,  though  all 
the  members  are  bound  by  the  common  rules  of  the  univer- 
sity. The  foirndations  of  these  colleges  support  five  hundred 
and  lifty-seven  fellows,  who  correspond  to  the  poor  scholars 
of  ancient  times.  Except  at  Wadhanx  College,  they  have  the 
option,  if  they  remain  unmarried,  of  retaining  their  fellow- 
ships for  life,  or  receiving  a  church  benefice.  Until  the  pass- 
ing of  the  reform  act  of  1854,  they  were  not  required  to  reside 
at  their  colleges.  Some  of  the  fellowships  are  of  small  value ; 
others  are  comparatively  munificent,  though  by  the  founders' 


202  RuDihks  throujh  thi    British  Isles. 

statutes  they  are  expressly  restricted  to  tlie  poor  :  tlie  posses- 
sion of  ten  marks  (about  thirty-three  dollars)  was  to  vacate  a 
fellowship  at  Brasenonse.  Fellows  are  generally  chosen  after 
receiving  their  bachelor's  degree;  they  are  the  tutors  of  the 
college,  and  with  the  bead  the  corporate  proprietors.  The 
government  of  the  university  was  formerly  exercised  by  the 
heads  of  the  colleges,  who  formed  what  was  called  the  board 
of  heads.  Under  the  new  reform  act,  there  are  three  legisla- 
tive bodies  ;  the  hebdomadal  council,  consisthig  of  the  chan- 
cellor, vice-chancellor,  six  heads  of  colleges  or  halls,  six  pro- 
fessors of  the  university,  and  six  members  ot  convocation, 
having  executive  control,  with  the  right  of  initiating  new 
measures ;  the  house  of  congregation,  composed  of  all  tlie 
principal  officers  of  the  university,  heads  of  cjlleges  and  halls, 
professors  and  assistants,  public  examiners,  and  all  resident 
members,  having  the  power  to  grant  degrees,  graces  and  dis- 
pensations; and  the  house  of  convocation,  consisting  of  the 
house  of  congregation,  with  the  addition  of  all  masters  of 
arts  in-  their  first  year,  and  persons  who  have  been  regents,  but 
have  retired  from  the  university.  The  last  is  engaged  only 
with  the  more  important  affairs.  Statutes  framed  by  the  heb- 
domadal council,  must  be  presented  for  approval  to  both  the 
other  boards.  The  professors  are  thirty-five  in  number,  viz.  : 
regius  professor  of  divinity,  jiastoral  theology,  Hebrew,  Greek, 
civil  law,  medicine,  ecclesiastical  history.  Lady  Margaret's  pro- 
fessor of  divinity,  Saville's  of  astronomy,  Saville's  of  geometry, 
Camden's  of  history,  Laud's  of  Arabic,  Lord  Almonsis  of 
Arabic,  Linaire  of  physiology,  Viuer's  of  common  law,  Lord 
Lichfield's  of  clinical  medicine,  Aldrich's  of  chemistry,  Boden 


Oxfdrd.  203 

of  Banscrit,  Dean  Ireland's  of  exegesis  of  Holy  Scripture,  the 
EuiU-liiic  observer,  imd  professors  of  botany,  natural  philoso- 
phy, experimental  philos(>phy,  mineralogy,  geology,  political 
economy,  rural  economy,  Latin  literature,  logic,  poetry,  modern 
European  languages,  Anglo-Saxon  and  music.  Attendance  on 
their  lectures  however,  is  not  compulsory,  and  in  point  ot 
fact,  the  entire  education  of  the  students  has  been  transferred 
from  the  university  to  the  separate  colleges.  lu  these  the 
fellows  act  as  tutors,  each  one  giving  instruction  in  the  wliole 
curriculum  of  study.  The  result  of  tliis  system  has  been  the 
practical  annihilation  of  the  university  pi'oper,  and  the  lower- 
ing of  the  standard  of  education  to  the  level  of  the  tutors,  who 
are  generally  young,  holding  fellowships  only  until  some  bet- 
ter opening  in  life  presents  itself.  Students  are  consequently 
obliged  to  resort  to  the  aid  of  private  tutors.  The  students 
are  compelled  to  connect  themselves  with  and  reside  in  some 
college  or  hall.  By  the  act  of  1854,  any  master  of  arts  was 
entitled  to  open  a  private  hall,  under  regulations  made  by  the 
university ;  but  this  measure  has  proved  inoperative.  There 
are  four  terms,  viz  :  Michaelmas,  from  October  10th  to  Decem- 
ber ITth;  Hilary,  from  Jan.  14tlitothe  day  before  Palm  Sunday; 
Easter,  from  the  tenth  day  after  Easter  to  the  day  before  Whit- 
sunday; and  Trinity,  from  the  Wednesday  after  Whitsunday, 
to  the  Sntui'day  after  the  first  Tuesday  in  July.  Before  pro- 
ceeding to  the  examination  for  the  degree  of  B.  A.,  a  student 
must  have  kept  sixteen  terms,  unless  he  be  a  member  of  the 
peerage,  or  the  eldest  son  of  a  baronet.  Practically,  however, 
terms  are  so  reckoned  that  not  more  than  three  years'  residence 
is  required  of  anyoody.     Three  public  exnminations  have  to 


204  Rambles  through  the  British  Isles. 

be  passed  before  obtaining  the  degree  B.  A.,  and  those  who 
have  distinguislied  themselves  are  distributed  into  lour  classes, 
under  the  four  great  divisions  of  literce  kumaniures,  discqjlinie 
wathematiccB' et  physicoe,  scienticB  naturales,  and  jurisprudentia  et 
liistoria  moderna." 

The  University  College,  par  excellence,  is  supposed  to  have 
been  founded  by  Alfred  the  Great.  It  is,  like  all  the  others, 
quadrangular  in  form,  reminding  one  somewhat  of  an  old 
prison  or  insane  asylum.  Over  the  iwinoipal  gateway  towers 
the  belfry,  whicli  holds  the  great  bell,  the  pride  of  the  Uni- 
versity, called  "  Great  Tom  of  Oxford,"  seventeen  thousand 
pounds  in  weight,  besides  the  clapper,  which  is  three  hundred 
and  forty  two  pounds  more.  Tom's  tolling  calls  all  the  scholars 
of  the  university  to  their  respective  colleges  at  9  o'clock 
every  night.  The  kitchen  and  dining  hall  connected  with 
the  university  are  said  to  be  the  largest  in  Britain;  they  are 
complete  in  all  their  arrangements,  and  in  themselves  an  index 
to  the  Englishman's  life,  a  good  share  of  which  is  spent  in 
devouring  beef,  mutton  and  i)lum  pudding  ! 

In  the  building  where  all  the  public  acts  of  the  university 
are  celebrated,  is  the  Bodleian  library,  it  contains  over  four 
hundred  thousand  volumes,  and  seventy  thousand  manuscripts  ; 
in  it  has  been  placed  a  copy  of  every  book  published  in  the 
British  empire  for  the  last  century.  What  a  place  !  the  very 
atmosphere  seemed  filled  with  the  voices  of  the  past.  Truly 
there  is  much  truth  in  Solomon's  words,  "  of  making  many 
books  there  is  no  end ;"  and  why  should  there  be  ? 

The  Eadcliff  Library  is  on  a  magnificent  scale,  and  from  the 
base  of  its  dome,  is  to  be  had  one  of  the  finest  views  of  Oxfox'd 


Oxford.  205 

city  and  its  surroundings.  No  visitor  should  fail  to  take  this 
view  ;  it  will  uioru  thuu  doubly  pay  hiui  for  the  cost  and 
trouble  of  ascending.  The  library  consists  wholly  of  medical 
works  antl  natural  history.  The  printing  house  is  one  of  the 
greatest  iu  the  kingdom,  and  is  one  of  the  three  houses  in 
England,  which  are  alone  allowed  to  print  the  Bible. 

The  chief  thoroughfare  of  the  city  is  High  street,  said  to  be 
one  of  thetlnest  in  tlie  kingdom,  and  not  without  some  truth. 
It  is  literally  Imetl  with  churclies  and  colleges.  Here  is  St. 
Mary's  church,  a  substantial,  dingy,  out  of  date  old  building. 
In  it  the  university  sermons  are  still  delivered.  It  was  from 
this  church  that  John  and  Charles  Wesley  Avere  excluded — be- 
cause they  preached  justiiieation  by  faith.  It  was  God's  will 
that  they  should  be  cast  out  of  it,  for  they  never  could  have  ac- 
complished anything  in  it.  The  world  was  Wesley's  field,  not 
Oxford  nor  the  English  church ! 

In  Oxford  there  is  one  spot  more  sacred  to  me  than  all  the 
others — the  place  where  Cramner,  Latimer  and  Eidley  Avere 
burned.  This  hallowed  ground  is  Justin  the  rear  of  Baliol 
College,  and  on  it,  a  beautiful  monument  has  been  erected  to 
their  memory.  It  is  composed  of  yellow  sandstone,  seventy- 
three  feet  high,  and  spiral  in  form.  The  work  is  of  the  first 
order,  an  appropriate  tribute  of  reverence  to  the  noljle  heroes 
it  is  designed  to  commemorate.  As  I  stood  gazing  upon  it,  I 
thought  of  Cranmer's  heroic  words,  "  So  long  as  the  breath  is  in 
my  body,  I  will  never  deny  my  Lord  Christ,  and  his  known 
truth ,  God's  will  be  done  in  me."  Here  it  was  he  offered  up 
the  following  prayer  :  "  O  heavenly  Father,  I  give  unto  thee 
most  hearty  thanks,  for  that  thou  liast  called  me  to  be  a  profes- 


206 


Rambles  through  the  British  Isles. 


sor  of  the  truth,  even  unto  death.  I  beseech  thee,  O  Lord  God, 
take  mercy  upon  this  realm  of  England,  and  deliver  the  same 
from  all  he^ enemies."  Here,  too,  Latimer,  another  martyr  for 
the  truth  uttered  the  prophecy — "  Be  of  good  comfort.  Master 
Eidley,  and  play  the  man  ;  we  shall  this  day  lightsuch  a  candle, 
by  God's  gr.ice,  in  England,  as  I  trust  will  never  be  put  out." 
And  so  it  has  come  to  pass  ;  the  candle  there  lighted  has  been 
burning  ever  since,  and  we  hope  in  God,  may  continue  to  burn, 
until  the  last  vestige  of  Romish  idolatry  and  priestcraft  shall 
be  done  away. 

"  Rome  thundered  death  :  hut  Ridley's  dauntless  eye 
Stared  in  Death's  face  and  scorned  Death  standing  by ; 
In  spite  of  Rome,  f i  r  England's  faitli  he  stood, 
And  in  the  flames,  he  sealed  it  with  hii  hlood." 


--■■-  — X'-.-:^- 


^Jij. 


XXIV. 

EXGLAXD    AXD    THE    ExGLISH. 

Aye,  there  in  truth  they  arc,  the  quiet  lioines, ' 
And  hallow'd  birtlispots  of  tlie  English  Ya.oc.—Etha-t. 

NGLAND,  mother  England!     What  shall  be 
^f'S^'))'    said  about  thee,  that  is  not  already  said.    Thy 
'''j">'^    broad  acres,  taking  in  an  area  of  fifty-eight 
4  0  g£>   ^7^"^    thousand  square  miles,  rich  in  produce,  and 

f-/  mmeral   wealth.     Thy   noble   hills,   and   majestic 
mountains,  lifting    their  heads  up  four  thousand 
feet  above  the  level  of  the  sea.     Thy  valleys,  filled 
with  fields  of  living  green,  and  dotted  with  groups 
of  nolile  trees — old   foresters  that  have  passed  through  a  thou- 
sand sunnners.     Thy  lakes  and  rivers,  few  in  number,  yet  far- 
fimicd  in  song.     As  a  whole,  thy  wide  meadows,  well-cultivated 


208  RamUes  through  the   British  Isles. 

fields,  smooth  roads,  cozy  villas,  neat  cottages,  with  their  usual 
adorumeut — shade  and  fruit  trees,  inviting  to  rest  and  refresh- 
ment ;  humble  antique  churches,  lofty  elms  and  well-cut  hedge- 
rows, is  a  picture  iiot  soon  to  be  forgotten. 

"  Britaunia !  happy,  if  tliy  bons  would  know 
Their  happiness.    To  these  thy  naval  streams, 
Thy  frequei.t  towns,  superb  of  busy  trade, 
And  ports  magnific,  add,  and  stately  ships 
Innumerous." 

The  climate  of  England  is  not  so  subject  to  sudden  changes 
as  our  American.  The  annual  temijerature  of  the  southern 
coast  is  about  fifty-two  degrees,  and  at  Greenwich  about  forty. 

The  principal  crops  are  wheat,  oats,  beans,  barley,  rye, 
turnips,  potatoes,  clover,  hops,  and  flax.  Intelligence  has  done 
much  in  promoting  the  productions  of  the  soil.  Of  late  years, 
much  attention  has  been  given  to  draining,  and  the  means  of 
accomplishing  this  in  the  most  efficient  manner. 

Some  attention  has  been  bestowed  upon  agricultural  implements 
and  improvements ;  yet  the  value  of  new  and  improved  tools  is 
not  generally  appreciated  by  a  majority  of  the  farmers  ;  in  this 
respect  they  are  for  behind  their  American  brethren.  In  con- 
firmation of  this  assertion,  I  give  the  words  of  Mr.  Willard,  who 
recently  visited  England  for  the  sole  purpose  of  observation  in 
this  field.     He  says  . 

"  When  in  England,  going  among  the  farms,  I  visited  an 
intelligent  and  extensive  farmer,  having  many  acres  of  wheat, 
which  the  continued  wet  weather  had  spoiled.  We  walked 
through  a  field  where  a  great  force  of  workmen  were  emijloyed 
in  opening  the  sheaves  to  get  them  dry.     This  had  been  done 


l£n(jl(md  mud  the  English.  209 

over  and  over  again  ;  but  each  time  before  they  could  he  made 
ready  lor  the  stack,  the  rain  would  come,  Avetting  them  again, 
and  now  the  wheat  was  sprouted.  I  said  to  him,  it  made  me 
sad  to  see  such  a  waste  of  grain,  in  a  country  where  there  Avere 
so  many  poor  and  needy  people  that  required  it,  and  that  thou- 
sands of  acres  of  wheat  in  Great  Britain  could  have  Ijeen  savcft 
this  year  by  the  adojitioa  of  a  little  Yankee  contrivance,  called 
the  '  Hay  Cap,'  and  then  I  explained  its  construction  and  use. 
'  Oh ! '  said  he,  '  that  suggestion,  a  few  weeks  ago,  would  have 
saycd  me  hundreds  of  pounds,  and  I  shall  adopt  it  at  once ;  but 
why  could  you  not  have  told  our  English  fermers  of  this  through 
the  papers,  in  time  to  have  spared  us  this  great  calamity  V  You 
see  he  blamed  me  for  not  anticipating  his  Ijad  luck  and  want 
of  knowledge.  And  so  it  often  is  at  home.  Men  cannot  see 
Avhat  a  simple  suggestion  is  sometimes  worth,  until  too  late. 
This  is  one  reason  why  progress  is  slow." 

The  farms  in  general  throughout  England  are  small,  and  by 
the  majority  only  rented.  This  doul)tles3  is  one  of  the  causes 
why  the  capabilities  of  the  soil  are  not  more  thoroughly 
developed. 

England  is  rich  in  resources.  In  her  coal  fields  arc  hidden 
vast  stores  of  wealth,  and  among  the  coal  producing  countries, 
she  stands  first  on  the  list  in  Europe. 

Among  the  chief  articles  of  Britain's  exports  are  the  fol- 
lowing :  cotton,  wool,  silk,  linen,  hardware,  machinery,  copper, 
brass,  lead,  tin,  spu'its,  beer,  butter,  cheese,  leather,  plate, 
watches,  silver,  gold  and  books.  England  has  done  much  for 
herself;  her  commerce  and  wealth  eclipses  that  of  Alexandria 
and  Tyre.     She  has  extended  her  domain  over  continents,  and 


210  Rambles  through  the  •British  Isles. 

reared  an  empire  greater  tlian  that  of  old  •Rome.  By  her  on. 
ward  march,  civilization  has  been  advanced  throughout  the 
world. 

The  parliamentary  returns  for  last  year,  give  a  statement  of 
the  quality  and  quantity  of  books  printed  in  and  exported 
iiwn  Great  Britain,  and  the  increase  in  each  ten  years,  conunenc- 
iug  with  1858.  Tue  books  exported  from  the  United  King- 
dom in -1858,  amounted  to  over  twenty-seven  thousand  hundred 
weight.  "'During  1868,  they  had  increased  to  almost  sixty-two 
thousand  hundred  weight,  and  the  value  during  the  same  period 
rose  from  three  hundred  and  ninety  thousand  dollars,  to  over 
six  hundred  and  eighty-four  thousand.  Of  these  amounts,  the 
United  States  took  the  largest  portion,  next  Austraha  and 
Egypt. 

An  interesting  parliamentary  paper  has  been  iDublished, 
showing  that  the  estimated  population  of  England,  at  the 
middle  of  the  year  1868,  was  about  twenty-one  and  a*lialf  millions, 
for  Scotland  about  three  aiid  one  half  millions^  and  for  Ireland 
five  and  a  half  millions ;  the  total  estimate  for  the  United 
Kingdom  Ijeing  over  thirty  millions.  The  returns  also  show  the 
amount  of  revenue  derived  from  taxation,  in  the  two  years  end- 
ing December  1867.  In  1866,  the  total  for  England  was  about 
two  hundred  and  sixty-nine  million  dollars  ;  in  1867,  about  one 
million  less ;  the  aggregate  for  two  years  amounts  to  five  hun- 
dred and  thirty-five  million  dollars.  Taking  the  above  figures 
as  a  basis,  a  calculation  has  been  made  of  the  number  of  repre- 
sentatives, which  each  division  of  the  United  Kingdom  would 
hive,  if  the  six  hundred  and  fifty-eight  members  of  the  House 
were  proportionately  allotted ;  England  would  have/om-  hundred 


EmjUind  ami  the  J^Jui/iish.  211 

and  S'ixty-niue  representatives,  Scotland,  uinety-tUrec,  and  Ireland 
Qiiehundred  and  twenty.  At  present,  England-  has  Jive  hundred 
members,  Scotland  fifly-lh  ee,  and  Ireland  one  hundred  and  five. 

The  people  of  England  may  be  divided  into  three  classes,  which 
are  as  follows :  the  aristocracy,  the  middlemen,  and  the  2}oor.  The 
first  class  live  upon  the  second,  and  the  second  upon  the  third  ; 
consequently  the  rich  are  becoming  richer,  and  the  poor  poorer. 
The  aristocracy,  or  first  class,  is  composed  of  six  orders  of 
nobility — dukes,  viscounts,  marquises,  earls,  and  bishops,  who 
are  spiritual  lords,  possessing  all  the  rights  and  privileges  of 
jjeers. 

The  roll  of  "  the  Lords  Spiritual  and  Temporal,"'  for  the  first 
session  of  the  twentieth  Parliament,  contains  a  list  of  four  hwn- 
dred  and  seventy  peers  in  all,  including  the  English  Bench  of 
Bishops,  and  the  four  Irish  representative  prelates,  the  twenty- 
eight  Irish  representative  temporal  peers,  who  at  present,  it  np- 
pcars,  are  only  fifteen.  The  first  in  order,  is  the  Prince  of 
Wales,  who  sits,  however,  as  the  Duke  of  Cornwall.  Next 
come  other  members  of  the  royal  family  ;  next  according  to  the 
custom  dating  back  to  the  middle  ages,  follow  the  highest  dig- 
nitaries of  the  church,  headed  by  the  Archbishop  of  Canter- 
bury. Then  follow  the  peers  who  are  members  of  the  minis- 
try ;  then  the  dukes,  twenty  in  number,  headed  by  the  Roman 
Catholic  Duke  of  Norfolk;  then  the  one  hundred  and  twenty- 
seven  earls;  the  thirty  viscounts  ;  the  bench  of  bishops,  twenty- 
nine  in  number ;  and  finally  the  two  hundred  and  thirty-four 
barons.  The  later,  it  will  be  seen,  constitute  almost  exactly  one 
half  of  the  whole  body  of  Peers.  The  general  idea  is,  that 
most  of  these  noblemen  arc  of  very  ancient  descent ;  but  it  is 


212  Hamhles  through  the  British    Isles. 

stated  that  the  Duke  of  Norfolk,  and  tlie  Earls  of  Shrewsbury 
aud  of  Derby,  are  the  only  direct  male  representatives  in  the 
three  highest  grades  of  the  peerage,  of  titles  conferred  prior  to 
the  reign  of  Henry  VIII. 

"What  a  dull  world  thisAvould  be,  if  men  were  not  allowed 
to  see  things  by  a  light  of  their  own !  Here  are  two  gentlemen, 
each  of  whom,  we  fancy,  knows  more  al)out  English  history 
than  nine  in  every  ten  persons  you  meet  at  your  club,  or  in 
your  fricnrVs  house,  so  strangely  denying  their  own  knowl- 
edge, as  to  make  sport,  not  merely  for  the  literary  Philistines, 
but  for  grocers'  boys  and  ladies'  maids.  Lord  Lindsay,  '  a  man 
of  letters  as  well  as  an  aristocrat,'  replies  to  the  impeachment 
of  his  order — flinging  away  in  a  fashion  to  remind  warriors  of 
Don  Quixote,  and  logicians  of  Lord  Peter.  He  mistakes  wind- 
mills for  giants,  and  swears  the  brown  loaf  is  good  mutton. 
Mr.  Bright  makes  observation  on  the  genius  of  an  hereditary 
peerage,  concluding  with  peremptory  emphasis,,  that  such  a 
peerage  cannot  forever  exist  in  a  free  country.  What  docs 
Lord  Lindsay  answer  ?  '  Look  at  history,'  he  cries,  '  and  you 
well  there  find  that  the  institution  you  decry  has  been  the  sal- 
vation of  England.  Who  does  your  work — fight  your  battles 
— write  your  books — guide  you  in  storm  and  darkness?'  And 
holding  the  mirror  to  the  past,  he  bids  the  immortal  shapes  rise 
up  with  their  crowns  upon  them,  to  rebuke  ignorance,  silence 
impeachment.  A  fine  array  of  names,  no  doubt ;  but  wind- 
mills, not  giants;  though  the  crusade  is  against  giants,  not 
against  windmills.  Of  the  great  dead,  under  whose  shield 
Lord  Lindsay  would  place  the  peerage,  not  one  was  born  a 
peer,  not  one  would  have  become  a  peer  in  the  course  of  direct 


England  and  the  English.  213 

succession.  Only  two — Russell  and  Wellington — were  sons  of 
jseci's.  Some  of  the  rest  were  very  liunibly  Ijorn.  Latimer  was 
the  son  of  a  jjoor  yeoman ;  the  Bacons  were  small  squires  in 
Suffolk,  the  Raleighs  in  Devon.  Blakis's  father  was  a  merchant, 
Cromwell's  a  malster.  Neither  the  Hampdens,  nor  the  Chur-<l 
chills  were  noble,  nor  were  the  Rid  leys.  Nelson's  fixther  was  a 
poor  parson.  Lord  Peter  swears  that  not  only  was  the  brown 
loaves  mutton,  seven  year  old  soutli  down,  sir  !  old  families, 
sir  !  the  noble  old  aristocratic  blood,  sir  !  the  families,  sir,  that 
fight,  and  write,  and  rule  the  country  sir  !  Yet  all  tliis  while, 
ajjart  from  controversy,  no  one  knows  better  than  Lord  Lindsay, 
that  even  had  his  illustrious  dead,  each  descended  from  long 
lines  of  Norman  earls  instead  of  from  yeomen,  parsons,  barris- 
ters and  squires,  his  list  would  prove  just  notliing.  A  dozen 
cases,  with  no  exception,  might  justify  a  rough  kind  of  tlieory. 
A  dozen  cases,  with  a  dozen  exceptions,  go  to  the  wall.  To 
Drove  anything,  he  must  prove  everything.  Yet  some  of  the 
very  greatest  are  left  blank.  Shakspeare,  Milton,  Newton, 
Johnson,  Burke  and  Watt,  stand  in  the  very  foremost  rank  of 
Englishmen — stand  in  mass  long  before  those  named  by  Lord 
Lindsay.  These  men  are  England.  Yet  who  can  name  the 
great-grandfather  of  any  one  of  these  ?  Their  fathers'  names 
are  scarcely  known,  their  mothers'  not  always.  Shakspeare's 
father  was  a  butcher ;  Milton's,  a  scrivener ;  Newton's,  a  squi- 
reen ;  Johnson's,  a  bookseller ;  Burke's,  an  attorney,  and  Watts', 
a  ship-chandler.  Of  the  antecedents  of  these  men,  we  know  as 
little  as  of  the  foundations  of  Snowdon,  Helvellyn,  or  the  Surrey 
hills."  These  titled  nobility  are  a  privileged  class,  in  more 
resi^ects  than  one.  Among  a  few  of  their  advantages, 
15 


214  Ramhles  through  the  British  Ides, 

are  tlie  following:  1,  they  cannot  be  arrested  for  debt.  2, 
they  can  be  tried  for  crime  and  misdemeanors  oaly  by  their 
peers,  who  give  their  verdict  not  on  oath,  but  on  their  honor. 
3,  exemption  from  scandal  bylaw,  subjecting  their  defamers  to 
^a.  arbitrary  fine  and  imprisonment.  4,  Peers  may  sit  in  a 
court   of  justice  witli  heads  uncovered. 

The  fact  is  inevitable,  that  the  House  of  Lords 
must  soon  come  to  an  end,  like  all  other  relics  of  Barbarism. 
During  the  passage  of  the  Irish  Church  Bill,  they  ripened 
their  own  destruction !  For  years  they  have  only  liecn  an  un- 
comfortable encumljrance  upon  the  nation — retarding  the 
onward  march  of  civilization.  And  how  the  people  have  borne 
with  them  so  long,  is  indeed  a  mystery.  Some  have  assigned 
as  a  reason  for  such  patience,  the  supposed  balance  of  a 
mixed  constitution.  The  advocates  of  this  condition  of  things 
say  :  "There  is  something  pretty  in  the  idea  of  a  triple  bond  of 
vmiou,  and  it  must  be  always  two  to  one  in  favor  of  good,  and 
against  mischief;  that  if  the  king  or  queen  went  wrong,  the 
lords  and  the  commons  must  be  both  on  the  same  side;  and  so 
if  the  Lords  went  wrong,  the  king  and  commons  would  go 
together  ;  or  if  the  commons  went  wrong  the  king  and  lords 
would  take  to  the  other  scale,  and  sway  it  till  the  balance 
became  even."  It  seems  never  to  have  occurred  to  these  theo- 
rists, that  two  of  these  parties  might  be  in  the  wrong  together, 
or  what,  for  the  nation's  peace,  would  be  the  same  thing,  the 
Xjeople  might  difler,  and  predominate  by  greater  force  of  num- 
bers, wealth,  or  strength ;  and  so  the  result  be  no  balance  at 
r.U.  But  it  is  in  vain  to  talk  of  balances,  unless  the  quantities 
be  even.     When  the  king  gave  up  his  revenues  for  a  fixed  salary, 


Eiiglaml  and  the  Euglish.  215 

he  lost  eveu  the  shadow  of  independeuce,  and  became  a  stipen- 
diary of  the  people.  When  the  principal_of  election  was  estab- 
lished, and  that  of  nomination  destroyed,  the  predominance  of 
the  lords  was  gone,  and  the  first  House  of  Commons  absorbed 
the  power,  both  of  the  crown  and  the  lords;  nor  should  it  be 
said  that  this  state  of  things  was  brought  about  by  any  set  of 
men  ;  the  feeling  of  the  people  was  too  strong  for  them.  Had 
they  not  yielded,  the  struggle  would  have  continued,  and  the 
end  would  have  been  as  terrible  as  the  conflict  had  been  vigor- 
ous. And  now  the  people,  through  the  commons,  have  power, 
which,  whenever  they  choose  to  exert  it,  not  only  cannot  be 
resisted,  but  cannot  be  opposed. 

The  following  is  a  list  of  the  pensions  and  salaries  of  Eng- 
land's aristocracy.  It  has  its  lessons  for  all,  and  may  be  studied 
with  profit:  "  The  Duke  of  Cambridge  receives  a  pension  of 
sixty  thousand  dollars  a  year !  His  pay  and  perquisites  are 
probably  double  this  amount.  The  Prince  and  Princess  of 
Wales  have  an  allowance  of  two  hundred  and  fifty  thousand, 
and  about  as  much  more  in  income.  Prince  Alfred  has  seventy- 
five  thousand,  and  his  pay  besides.  The  Princess  Royal  has 
forty  thousand,  to  spend  in  Prussia  for  pocket  money.  But  the 
royal  pensions  are  almost  a  matter  of  course ;  there  arc  others 
more  surprising,  and  some  even  astonishing.  A  man  who  has 
ever  been,  even  for  a  few  months.  Lord  Chancellor  or  Judge, 
has  a  very  nice  income  for  life.  No  need  to  make  hay  while  the 
sun  shines.  And  this  rule  applies  to  all  public  officers,  down 
to  the  policemen  and  letter  carriers.  Thus  Viscount  Avon- 
more  has  a  pension,  paid  out  of  the  price  of  men's  beer  and 
tobacco,  of  twenty-one  thousand  in  gold  ;  Lord  Cairns,  twenty- 


216  Eamhks  through  the  British  Isles. 

five  thousand ;  Lord  Clielmsfbrd,  twenty-five  thousand ;  Lord 
Colonsay,  t^Yenty  thousand  ;  Lord  Westbury,  twenty  thousand. 
These  are  a  few  cases.  It  is  a  curious  fact  that  while  Lord 
Cams  gets  a  pension  of  twenty-five  thousand  a  year  for  life, 
Mr.  Disraeli,  the  Prime  Minister,  who  appointed  him,  gets  only 
ten  thousand  dollars.  There  are  other  abuses  or  burdens  on 
the  tax  paying  public  more  remarkal:»le.  The  late  officers  of 
an  abohshed  sham,  an  ecclesiastical  court,  get  nearly  half  a  mil- 
lion of  dollars  a  year  ;  the  inland  revenue  pensions  are  half  a 
million ;  post  office,  about  four  hundred  thousand  ;  civil  list,  one 
hundred  thousand.  The  heirs  of  Nelson  have  a  pension  of 
fifteen  thousand ;  of  Wellington,  twenty  thousand ;  Duke  of 
Marborough,  twenty  thousand ;  heirs  of  William  Penn,  twenty 
thousand.  One  Rev.  Thomas  Thurloe,  has  a  comijensation 
allowance  of  sixty  thousand  a  y<?ar,  (I  should  like  to  know  for 
what.)  Our  Congress  refused  the  widow  of  an  assassinated 
President,  five  thousand  a  year. 

Salaries  are  not  so  high  in  jDroiJortion  as  pensions.  The 
places  in  the  Royal  household,  honorable  sinecures,  are  a  sort 
of  pension  or  reward  for  political  services.  These  change  with 
the  changes  of  cabinets.  Her  majesty's  steward,  an  earl,  gets 
ten  thousand  a  year ;  the  treasurer,  who  pays  the  market  bills, 
or  his  clerk  for  him,  fifteen  thousand ;  master  of  the  household, 
Major  Domo,  five  thousand ;  keeper  of  the  Privy  Purse,  a  myth- 
ical matter,  five  thousand ;  Queen's  private  secretary,  who  could 
not  be  trusted  with  the  mythical  purse  or  other  functions,  five 
thniasand  a  year  ;  master  of  the  house,  twelve  thousand  ;  master 
of  the  Buckhounds — there  really  are  some  of  these  though  the 
Earl  of  Cork  may  never  see  them,  eight  thousand  five  hundred 


Bnijland  and  the  Emjlish.  217 

dollars ;  groom  of  the  robes — Major-Gencrul  Seymour,  who  per- 
boiially,  or  by  deputy,  attends  to  Her  Majesty's  royal  petticoats 
— four  thousand.  These  are  only  a  few  of  them,  for  there  are 
nearly  a  thousand  men  attached  to  the  royal  household,  and 
paicl  for  rendering  some  real — but  mostly  imaginary  services,  to 
Her  Majesty.  As  usual,  those  who  do  most  get  least  pay.  The 
members  of  the  Cabinet,  for  the  most  part,  work  for  their 
money.  The  Lord  Chancellor  has  the  largest  plum  in  the  pud- 
ding— lifty  thousand  a  year,  and  the  pensions  to  follow.  Mr. 
Gladstone,  Mi'.  Lowe,  Mi*.  Bruce,  Mr.  Cardwell,  Earls  Claren- 
don and  Granville  and  the  Duke  of  Argyll,  get  the  same  as  the 
President  of  the  United  States,  twenty-five  thousand  dollars  a 
year;  Mr.  Childers,  twenty-two  thousand  five  hundred;  Mr. 
Fortescue,  twenty  thousand;  Marquis  of  Harrington,  twelve 
thousand  five  hundred ;  Earl  de  Grey,  Earl  Kimberly,  Messrs. 
Bright  and  Goschen,  ten  thous^and  each. 

What  seems  to  be  the  hardest  thing  in  England,  is  the  small 
pay  given  to  many  who  work  very  hard,  and  the  great  sums 
squandered  on  idlers.  There  are  scores  of  persons  in  the  pay 
of  the  Foreign  Office,  at  high  salaries,  who  have  not  done  a 
day's  service  in  twenty  years.  One  man,  who  has  received  two 
hundred  and  seventy  thousand  dollars,  has  not  been  consulted 
since  1854 ;  another,  who  has  lived  in  absolute  idleness  for 
forty-four  years,  has  received  over  one  hundred  and  fifty  thous- 
and. There  are  numerous  cases  of  this  kind.  A  man,  ever  so 
clever  and  useful,  is  set  aside  by  some  Foreign  Secretary,  j)er- 
haps  for  a  relative  or  favorite  of  his  own,  and  goes  upon  the 
retired  list  when  thirty  years  old,  and  lives  till  eighty,  receiving 
from  five  thousand   to  ten   thousand   a  vear  to  live  where  toj 


218  Ramhhs  through  the   British  Isles. 

likes — fifty  years  enjoying  his  otmm  cum  dignitate  at  the  expense 
of  people  who  work  very  hard,  and  starve  a  little  at  times  to 
Ijay  their  rates  and  taxes." 

Aristocracy  costs  something,  and  we  do  not  at  all  wonder 
that  any  attempt  to  break  it  down  or  weaken  it,  should  be  met 
with  strong  resistance.  Yet  it  must  give  way  before  enlight- 
ened 23ublic  sentiment ;  the  people  have  borne  with  it  until 
"patience  has  ceased  to  be  a  virtue" — it  must  be  overthrown. 

With  true  aristocracy,  the  people  of  England  find  no  fiiult ; 
but  this  list  of  pensioned  paupers  and  salaried  ex-officials,  is 
enough  to  exasperate  any  people ;  and  of  all  of  Britain's 
grievances,  this,  though  not  the  least,  is  the  most  openly 
obnoxious,  to  her  over-burdened  people. 

The  viiddlemen,  or  second  class,  embrace  all  orders  and  divisions, 
from  the  aristrocrat  down  to  the  day  laborer,  who  works  with 
his  hands  for  bread.  In  this  class  there  is  more  true  worth  and 
happiness  than  in  the  upper,  or  lower.  They  are  the  stay  of 
society;  being  removed  from  the  wants  and  the  wayward- 
ness of  the  lower  class,  and,  at  the  same  time,  from  the  wasteful- 
ness and  imaginary  wants  of  the  higher.  They  are  iree-  from 
many  of  the  temptations  of  the  lower  class,  and  also  from  the 
follies  of  the  upper.  Theirs  is  the  hapi^y  medium.  As  a  whole 
they  are  more  sincere,  more  candid,  more  temperate,  more  moral 
and  more  aflFectionate  than  the  first.  Their  situation  is  one  of 
safety ;  they  have  httle  to  complain  of,  when  compared  with 
the  lower  class — and  about  them  I  have  already  said  enough. 

In  the  third  class,  which  takes  in  about  one-tenth  of  the  people, 
we  include  all  the  poor,  from  the  small  farmer  and  factory  girl, 
aown  to  the  Beggar  by  the  Wayside. 


Eiiffland  and  the  English.  219 

The  condition  of  this  class  is  most  -wretched ;  and  it  is  far 
from  being  true,  that  the  English  peasantry  are  the  "  hapjiiest 
peasantry  in  the  world."  During  tlie  year  18G7,  tlie  income  of 
England  amounted  to  over  three  billicjn  dollars,  and  of  this 
amount  the  first  and  second  classes  received  over  two  billions, 
and  the  third  about  one.  In  other  words,  seventeen  millions  of 
the  people  of  England  received  on  an  average  the  sum  of  about 
seventy-five  dollars  peryear,  or  less  than  tv^enty-five  cents  per  day  1 
In  looking  at  these  figures,  who  can  help  falling  in  with  the 
assertion  made  recently  by  Mr.  Norton,  in  the  North  American 
Review,  that  "  a  large  majority  of  the  inhabitants  are  jjoor — 
poor  not  merely  relatively,  but  positively.  The  great  pyramid 
of  English  wealth  rests  on  a  wide  base  of  poverty  and  pauper- 
ism." 

Well  may  it  be  said  of  the  boasted  happiness  of  England's 
poor  : 

"  Yonr  praise  is  come  too  swiftly  home  before  yon. 

Know  you  not,  master,  to  some  kind  of  men 

Tlieir  graces  serve  them  but  as  enemies? 

Ko  more  do  yours ;  yonr  virtues,  gentle  master, 

Are  sanctified  and  holy  traitors  to  you. 

O  what  a  world  is  this,  when  what  is  comely 

Envenoms  him  that  bears  it  ?  " 

There  is  but  one  step  between  the  laborer  and  the  poor  house ; 
and  this  is  not  only  true  in  reference  to  the  agricultural  laborers, 
it  is  the  condition  of  the  poor  in  towns  and  cities.  In  Devon- 
shire, one  of  the  richest  shires  in  England,  "  the  average  wages 
paid  to  the  laborers,  who  till  the  soil  of  that  garden  of  Eng- 
land, is  under  eight  shillings  a  week  !     Tens  of  thousands  of 


220         .  Rambles  through  the  British  Isles. 

heads  of  families  are  there  toiling  for  a  shilling  or  fourteen 
pence  a  day  each,  which,  supposing  them  to  have  a  wife  and 
three  children,  will  not  be  more  than  eighteen  pence  a  head  ; — 
less  by  six  pence,  than  is  allowed  for  the  subsistence  of  a  jiauper  in 
the  Manchester  workhouse,  nay,  less  than  is  paid  for  the  food 
and  clothing  of  the  criminals  confined  in  Bailey  prison  !  Such 
are  the  jjeasantry  of  beautiful  Devonshire.  Truly  may  it  be 
said  of  that  country,  God  created  a  paradise,  and  man  has 
surrounded  it  with  an  atmosphere  of  misery,  and  peopled  it 
with  the  wretched  victims  of  selfish  legislation."  Now,  what 
is  the  cause  of  so  much  distress  and  wretchedness  ?  Does  it 
arise  from  the  relation  existing  between  the  employer  and 
employed  ?  It  may  be  said,  that  this  in  part  is  one  of  the 
causes — although  by  no  means  the  greatest.  The  spirit  of  vas- 
salage, or  modified  serfdom,  has  not  entirely  passed  away  from 
England.  The  master  still  looks  upon  his  servant  as  his  slave 
and  inferior ;  and  the  servant  looks  to  his  master  and  lord  with 
servile  reverence.  The  theory  of  simjile  contract,  of  equal  bar- 
gain and  of  independent  arrangement  between  the  parties — the 
employer  and  the  employed — is  not  popular  Avith  the  upper 
classes,  nor  is  if  fully  believed  in,  as  yet,  by  the  poor. 

The  fundamental  principles  of  just  government,  "that  every 
man  is  as  good  and  as  free  as  his  neighbor,  as  entitled  to  think 
for  himself,  as  qualified  to  act  for  himself,  as  competent  to  dis- 
tinguish and  take  care  of  his  own  interests,"  is  still  looked  upon 
as  being  absurd  and  wild.  Englishmen  do  not  like  to  believe 
that  in  the  eyes  of  the  law  there  is  no  difterence  between  man 
and  man.  They  can  see  nothing  to  admire  in  a  government 
where  every  man,  as  man,  is  equal  to  his  fellow,  irrespective  of 


Enijland  and  the  EmjUsh.  221 

wealth  or  name.  A  poor  porter,  by  the  name  of  Ilussel, 
expressed  the  true  idea,  being  asketl  by  a  gentleman,  jocularly, 
"  is  your  coat  ot  arms  the  same  as  the  Duke  of  Bedford's  \ " 
'•  As  to  our  armSy  your  honor,"  said  the  porter,  •'  I  believe  they 
are  much  alike;  but  there  is  a  great  difference  between  our 
coals.''''  This  is  the  correct  thcojy ;  if  men  differ  ut  all  as 
men,  it  is  the  coat  which  makes  the  difference.  Honors  or  dis- 
honors, wealth  or  poverty,  "  A  man's  a  man  for  a'  that,  lor  a' 
that.'' 

The  English  of  the  aristocratic  type  have  a  remarkable 
attachment  tor  old  things,  and  a  terrible  dread  of  new.  They 
do  not  admire  our  democratic  institutions  and  customs,  our 
independence  of  thought  and  feeling.  M.  de  Tocqueville,  in 
writing  on  America  says,  "I  never  saw  a  man  in  the  United 
States  who  reminds  me  of  that  class  ot  confidential  and  attached 
servants  of  Avhom  we  retain  a  reminiscence  in  Europe.  The 
Americans  are  not  only  unacquainted  with  this  kind  of  man, 
but  it  is  hardly  possible  to  make  them  understand  that  such 
ever  did  exist.  It  is  scarcely  less  difficult  for  them  to  conceive 
it,  than  for  us  to  form  a  correct  notion  of  what  a  slave  was 
among  the  Romans,  or  a  serf  in  the  middle  ages.  In  democra- 
cies, servants  are  not  only  equal  among  themselves,  but  they 
are  in  some  sort  the  equals  of  their  masters.  Why  then  has  the 
former  a  right  to  command,  and  what  compels  the  latter  to 
obey?  the  free  and  teniporal  consent  of  both  their  wills. 
Keither  of  them  is  by  nature  inferior  to  the  other  ;  he  only  be- 
comes so  tor  a  time  by  covenant.  Within  the  terms  of  this  cov- 
enant, and  during  its  continuance,  the  one  is  a  servant,  the 
other  is  a  master ;  beyond  it,  they  are  two  citizens  of  the  com- 


222  Rambles  through  the  British  Isles. 

monwealtli — two  men.  The  precise  limits  of  authority  and 
obedieuce  are  as  -clearly  settled  iu  the  miud  of  the  one  as  the 
other.  The  master  holds  the  contract  of  service  to  be  the  only 
source  of  his  jjower,  and  the  servant  regards  it  as  the  only  cause 
of  his  obedience.  On  their  part,  masters  require  nothing  of 
their  servants  but  the  faithful  and  rigorous  perfc>rmance  of  the 
covenant ;  they  do  not  ask  for  marks  of  respect ;  they  do  not 
claim  their  love  or  devoted  attachment ;  it  is  enough  that  as 
servants  they  are  exact  and  honest."  This  is  true ;  and  why 
should  it  be  otherwise  ?  Who  would  have  it  exchanged  ?  Who 
but  those  who  sigh  for  the  days  of  the  past;  the  days  that 
have  passed  never  more  to  return — the  servile  age  of  body  and 
mind. 

"  God  gave  us  only  over  beast,  fish,  fowl, 
Dominion  absolute ;  that  right  -we  hold 
By  his  donation ;  but  man  over  man 
He  made  not  lord  ;  such  title  to  himself 
Resei-ving,  human  left  from  human  free. " 

Illustrative  of  the  American  feeling  of  eqitality,  a  good  story  is 
told  by  Johnson,  in  his  notes  on  North  America.  "  At  Boston,  I 
was  told  of  a  gentleman  in  the  neighborhood  who  having  en- 
gaged a  farm  servant,  found  him  very  satisfactory  in  all  respects, 
except  that  he  invariably  came  into  his  master's  room  with  his 
hat  on.  '  John,'  said  he  to  him  one  day,  '  you  always  keep  your 
hat  on  when  you  come  into  the  room.'  '  Well  sir,  haven't  I  a 
riglit  to  ?'  'Yes,  I  suppose  you  have.'  'Well,  if  I  have  a  right 
to,  why  shouldn't  I?'  This  was  a  poser  from  one  man  to 
another,  where  all  have  equal  rights.  So  after  a  moment's 
reflection,  the  gentleman  asked,  'Now,  John,  what  will  you  take 


Emjhml  and  the  English.  223 

— liovr  much  more  wages  will  you  ask,  to  take  off  your  hat  when 
you  come  iu  ? '  '  Well,  that  reqmres  consideration,  I  guess.' 
Take  the  thiug  mto  consideration,  then,  and  tell  me  to-morrow 
morning.'  The  morrow  comes.  '  Well,  John,  have  you  consid- 
ered what  additional  wages  you  are  to  have  for  taking  off  your 
hat  ?  '  '  Well,  sir,  I  guess  it's  worth  a  dollar  a  month.'  '  It's  set- 
tled then,  John,  you  shall  have  another  dollar  a  month ;'  and 
the  gentleman  retained  a  good  servant,  while  John's  hat  was 
always  in  his  hand  when  he  entered  the  house  in  future."  John 
was  right ;  it  was  worth  something  to  take  off  his  hat  every 
time  he  came  into  the  presence  of  his  master,  a^d  a  dollar  a 
month  was  little  enough.  If  a  man  takes  off  his  hat  to  a  man, 
he  ought  to  be  i^aid  for  it !  But  in  England  the  servant  is  will- 
ing to  carry  his  hat  in  hand,  all  the  live-long  day,  if  by  so  doing 
he  may  manage  to  keep  on  the  right  side  of  his  lord  and  master, 
and  this  too,  without  the  slightest  compensation.  Now  such 
crouching  and  submission  is  beneath  the  true  man;  it  feeds  the 
pride  of  him  who  thinks  himself  superior  to  his  fellows,  debases 
manhood,  and  should  be  spurned  by  all  wholove  justice,  equality 
and  good  government. 

The  state  of  society,  in  England,  is  one  cause  of  the  misery 
and  destitution  which  e:ysts  among  her  jioor.  For  ages  they 
have  been  suffering  under  the  cruel  hand  of  unjust  laws  Their 
substance  has  been  made  meagre  by  restriction,  their  industry 
has  been  cramped  by  legislative  shackles,  and.  their  vigor  has 
been  sapped  by  first  hampering,  and  then  protecting  them,  by 
first  rendering  it  impossible  for  them  to  support  themselves,  and 
then  engaging  to  support  them  at  the  cost  of  others  ;  thus  have 
they  been  made  dependent  and  helpless  as  children  ! 


22-1  Ramhles  through  the  British  Isles. 

England's  poor  have  a  claim  upon  England's  rich,  to  be  sup- 
ported and  cared  for,  which  is  based  upon  those  enactments 
which  have  incapacitated  them  from  supporting  themselves. 
''  A  people  to  whom  suitable  instruction  had  given  the  full  pos- 
session ol  their  natural  capacities,  and  who  were  lett  free  to 
exercise  their  industry  in  the  manner  they  deemed  most  profit- 
able, would  have  no  shadow  of  a  title  to  maintenance  out  of 
the  industry  of  others.  But  the  consequences  of  injustice  are 
awful,  and  haunt  the  steps  of  the  perpetrator  everlastingly. 
The  moment  you  wrong  a  man,  you  become  his  debtor.  The 
moment  you  rob  a  man,  you  give  him  a  perpetual  mortgage  over 
all  your  possessions.  The  moment  you  tie  a  man's  i-hands  and 
feet,  you  bind  yourself  to  work  for  him,  and  walk  for  him.  The 
moment  jou  deprive  a  man  of  freedom,  you  become,  in  the 
eye  of  morality,  his  slave."  This  is  now  the  position  of  the 
landed  proprietors  and  capitalists  of  England.  By  their  unright- 
eous hold  upon  the  lands  and  commerce  of  the  nation,  they 
have  brought  upon  themselves  the  duty  of  caring  for  over  half 
a  million  paupers  ! 

True,  there  are  other  causes,  besides  unrighteous  legislation 
and  caste,  for  the  miserable  condition  of  England's  poor.  It  is 
said  by  the  rich  that  they  are  improvident,  they  do  not  economize, 
for  if  they  did  their  circumstances  would  be  comfortable.  This 
doubtless,  to  an  extent  is  true,  but  as  an  excuse  for  the  poverty 
-of  the  poor  it  is  more  specious  than  solid,  and  its  feebleness 
may  be  readily  seen  by  the  following  drama: 

First  Scene — Rich  man  seated  in  an  easy  chair  j  hy  him 
stands  a  jMor  man  in  sti.p2ylicating  attitude. 

Rich  man  :  Ahem  !  very  sorry,  my  friend,  that  I  can  do  noth- 


HugJand  and  the  English.  225 

ing  for  yon.  But  I  can  give  yon  a  word  of  good  advice — econ-- 
mize ! 

Poor  mmi :     Bnt  when  a  man  has  nothing — 

Rich  man  :  Nonsense  !  Under  certain  circumstances,  a  man 
must  know  how  to  save. 

Second  Scene — The  rich  man  droicniny  in  a  pond  :  1  he  poor 
vian  calmly  regarding  him  from  the  shore. 

Poor  man :  Sorry,  my  friend,  that  I  can  do  nothing  for  you, 
but  I  can  give  you  a  word  of  good  advice —  strim  ! 

Rich  man:  (cliolcing)  But — but — but — wh- — when  a  man 
can't  swim  ! 

Poor  man  :  Nonsense  !  Under  certain  circumstances  a  man 
must  know  how  to  swim. 

Now  while  I  do  not  say  that  legislation  and  society  are  tlie 
sole  cause  of  the  jioverty  of  the  poor,  yet  I  do  believe  them  to 
be  the  stepping  stones  to  it. 

"  They  are  not  as  prudent  as  they  might  be ;"  this  is  too 
true.  But  what  is  the  cause  of  it?  "They  are  indolent,'' 
acknowledgecL  But  what  robbed  them  of  their  energy  ?  What 
is  the  tendency  of  slavery  everywhere  ?  What  but  to  render 
labor  disreputable.  They  are  imprudent,  indolent,  immoral, 
and  who  is  to  blame? 

Not  long  ago,  a  jjoor,  half-starved  laborer,  on  his  way  home 
from  his  daily  toil,  to  his  famishing  family,  yielded  ti)  the  temp- 
tation of  securing  something  good  for  supper,  for  once,  by  kill- 
ing a  hare  that  chanced  to  cross  his  path.  The  fiict  reached  his 
master's  cars ;  he  was  seized  by  the  strong  hand  of  the  law,' 
tried  and  found  guilty.  He  was  sentenced  to  imprisonment  in 
Gwetfham  goal,  for  three  months,  and  to  be  sent  back  for  six 


226  Eamlles  tlwough  the  British  Isles. 

months,  at  tlie  end  of  that  time,  unless  he  found  surety  for  good 
behavior  during  twelve  months  longer.  He  had  a  wife  and 
child,  who  entirely  dei^ended  on  his  slender  earnings.  The 
wife,  during  his  confinement  was  taken  sick  ;  and  in  her  utter 
destitution — money,  food,  coal,  all  were  wanting — she  was  forced 
to  aj^ply  to  the  parish  authorities  for  help ;  but  the  application 
was  ineffectual,  or  the  response  came  too  late ;  she  died,  leaving 
her  child,  of  three  years,  to  the  tender  mercy  of  those  who  incar- 
cerated her  husband,  robbed  her  of  bread,  and  drove  her  into  the 
grave.    Who  was  to  blame  ?    Who  ? 

"  I  would  not  enter  on  my  list  of  friends, 
(Though  graced  with  polished  manners  and  fine  sense 
Yet  wanting  sensibility)  the  man 
Wlio  needlessly  sets  foot  upon  a  worm, 
An  inadvertent  step  may  crush  the  snail 
That  crawls  at  evening  in  the  public  path  ; 
But  he  that  has  humanity,  forwarned, 
Will  tread  aside  and  let  the  reptile  live." 

Intemperance  is  one  of  the  greatest  sources  of  ^jo«- 
erty  and  crime  among  the  English  poor.  Thi#  has  become 
the  heaviest  tax  of  the  laboring  class — their  worst  enemy.  In 
proof  of  this,  we  have  the  testimony  of  some  of  her  foremost 
men. 

The  Hon.  Charles  Buxton  of  London,  says,  "  It  is  intoxication 
that  fills  our  jails.  It  is  intoxication  that  fills  our  lunatic  asy- 
lums. It  is  intox-catioa  that  fills  our  workhouses  with  poor. 
Were  it  not  for  this  one  cause,  pauperism  would  be  nearly 
extinguished  in  England." 

The  Westminster  Review  says,  "  Drunkenness  is  the  curse  of 


JEngland  and  the  English.  227 

England,  a  curse  so  great,  that  it  far  eclipses  every  other  calam- 
ity under  which  we  sutler.  It  is  iniijossible  to  exaggerate  the 
evils  of  drunkcuuess." 

Judge  Patterson,  of  Norwich,  England,  addressing  a  grand 
jury  said  :  "If  it  were  not  for  this  drinking,  you  and  I  would 
have  nothing  to  do." 

Mr.  Wakely,  Coroner  of  Liverpool,  said,  "Gin  maybe  thought 
the  best  friend  I  have ;  it  causes  me  to  liold  annually  one 
thousand  more  inquests  than  I  should  otherwise  hold.  But 
besides  these,  I  have  reason  to  believe  that  from  ten  to  fifteen 
thousand  persons  die  in  this  metropolis  annually,  from  the  etleets 
of  gin-drinking,  upon  whom  no  inquests  are  held.  Since  I 
have  been  coroner,  I  have  seen  go  many  murders  by  poi-son,  by 
drowning,  by  hanging,  by  cutting  the  throat  in  consequence  of 
drinking  ardent  spirits,  that  I  am  astonished  that  the  legislature 
does  not,  interfere.  I  am  confident  they  will,  before  long,  be 
obliged  to  interfere  with  the  sale  of  liquors  containing 
alcohol." 

We  often  hear  of  the  heavy  taxes  which  the  people  of  Eng- 
land have  to  bear :  "  Taxes  upon  everything  that  enters  the 
mouth,  covers  the  back,  or  is  placed  under  the  feet ;  taxes  upon 
everything  that  is  pleasant  to  see,  hear,  feel,  taste,  or  smell ; 
taxes  upon  warmth,  light,  and  locomotion ;  taxes  upon  every- 
thing on  the  earth,  in  the  waters  under  the  earth — upon  every- 
thing that  comes  from  abroad,  or  is  grown  at  home  ;  taxes 
upon  the  raw  material,  and  upon  every  value  that  is  added  to 
it  by  the  ingenuity  and  industry  of  man  ;  taxes  upon  the 
sauce  that  pampers  man's  appetite,  and  on  the  drug  that  re- 
stores him  to  health — on  the  ermine  that  decorates  the  judge, 


228  Rambles  through  the  British  Isles. 

and  on  the  rope  that  hangs  the  criminal — on  the  brass  nails 
of  thg  coffin,  and  on  the  ribands  of  the  bride — at  bed  or  at 
board — couchant,  or  levant — we  must  pay.  The  school-boy 
wMiys  his  taxed  top ;  the  beardless  youth  manages  his  taaxd 
horse  by  a  taxed  bridle  on  a  taxed  road ;  and  the  dying  Eng- 
lishman, pouring  his  medicine,  which  has  paid  seven  per  cent. 
into  a  spoon  which  has  paid  thirty  per  cent.,  throws  himself 
back  upon  his  chintz  bed,  which  has  paid  twenty-two  per  cent., 
and,  having  made  his  will,  the  seals  of  which  are  also  taxed,  he 
expires  in  the  arms  of  his  apothecary,  who  has  paid  £100  for 
the  privilege  of  hastening  his  death.  His  whole  property  is 
then  taxed  from  two  to  ten  per  cent.,  and  besides  the  expenses 
of  probate,  he  pays  large  fees  for  being  buried  in  the  chancel, 
and  his  virtues  are  handed  down  to  prosterity  on  taxed  mar- 
ble. After  all  which  he  may  be  gathered  to  his  fathers 
to  be  taxed — no  more."  Now  this  is  bad  enough.  Bat  of  all 
the  taxes  which  the  laboring  class  in  England  are  called  to 
bear,  the  self-imposed  tax  of  tohacco,  heer,  porter  and  spirits  is 
the  heaviest. 

Dr.  Lees,  of  London,  speaking  of  the  loss  sustained  by  Eng- 
land in  consequence  of  the  drinking  system,  says  :  "  £100,000,- 
000,  which  is  now  annually  wasted,  is  a  sum  as  great  as  was 
spent  in  seven  years  upon  all  the  railways  of  the  kingdom — 
in  the  very  heyday  of  railway  projects  ;  a  sum  so  vast,  that 
if  saved  annually  for  seven  years,  would  blot  out  the  national 
debt !  "  Another  writer  says,  "  that  in  the  year  1865  thirty -one 
million  dollars,  or  a  tenth  part  of  the  whole  national  revenue, 
was  required  to  support  her  paupers."  Who  wonders  that 
.such  a  state  of  affairs  should  be  the  cause  of  much  alarm  ? 


Bnr/Iaud  and  the  English.  229 

In  the  United  Kingdom  of  Great  Britain  and  Ireland  in 
1867,  there  were  destroyed  in  the  manufacture  of  beer  and 
spirits  sho\xt  Jifty-three  million  bushels  of  grain.  For  the  sale 
of  beer  and  spirits  there  are  more  than  one  hundred  and  fifty 
thousand  public  houses,  which,  on  an  average  of  a  frontage  of 
ten  yards,  would  form  a  row  of  houses  upwards  of  eight  hun- 
dred and  fifty  miles  tong,  or  one  continuous  street  extending 
from  Edinburgh  to  London.  In  addition  to  the  money  spent 
on  the  drink  there  is  also  the  cost  of  the  crime,  pauperism, 
and  disease,  with  the  loss  of  time,  property  and  life,  which, 
estimated  at  iuWj  fifty  million  more,  and  added  to  the  above, 
makes  a  total  cost  of  one  huwlred  and  fifty  million  sterling,  to 
gratify  the  national  love  for  drink. 

Now  look  at  what  this  traf&c  does  for  the  United  Kingdom 
yearly  : 

It  makes  one  and  a  half  million  paupers,  or  one  in  twenty  of 
the  entire  population. 

It  created  six  hundred  thousand  drunkards ;  each  one  a 
source  of  sorrow  and  annoyance,  both  to  his  family  and  com- 
munity. 

It  is  the  cause  of  more  than  sixty  thousand  murders. 

It  sends  to  the  lunatic  asylum  owev  forty -three  thousand  men 
and  women. 

It  throws  into  an  untimely  grave  more  than  twenty-five 
thousand. 

It  gives  to  the  keeping  of  the  nation  one  hundred  and  forty 
thousand  criminals. 

It  sends  out  upon  the  charities  of  the  world  fifty  thousand 
widows. 


230  RamlJes  tJirouf/h  the  British  Isles. 

It  consigns  to  the  walls  of  the  poor-house  and  orphan  asy- 
lum one  hundred  thousand  children. 

This  is  but  a  part  of  the  work  which  the  traffic  in  leer  and 
spirits  is  doing  for  Great  Britain  yearly. 
"  O  thou  invisible  spirit  of  wine. 
If  thou  hast  no  name  to  be  known  by,  let  us  call  thee  devil." 

THE  ENGLISH  CHURCH  AND  ROHANISM:. 
The  Church  of  England  is  an  establishment.  The  Queen  is 
its  head,  and  sustains  about  the  same  relation  to  it  that  the 
Pope  does  to  the  Church  of  Rome.  By  her  royal  authority  all 
ecclesiastical  conventions  are  convened,  prorogued,  regulated, 
restrained  and  dissolved.  Though  but  three  orders  of  clergy, 
bishops,  priests  and  deacons,  are  essential  to  the  Episcopal 
government  in  England,  other  officers  have  been  gradually 
introduced  ;  such  as  archbishops,  deans,  prebendaries,  minor 
canons,  archdeacons  and  church-wardens,  &c.  The  field  is 
divided  into  two  Episcopal  provinces,  Canterbury  and  York, 
with  an  archbishop  in  each.  Next  to  the  archbishops  in  rank 
stands  the  bishop  of  London.  The  Archbishop  of  Canter- 
bury is  the  primate  of  all  England.  It  is  his  prerogative 
to  crown  the  Kings  and  Queens  of  the  Realm,  and  to  take 
rank  next  after  the  royal  family.  The  King  or  Queen,  as  the 
head  of  the  Church,  appoints  the  archbishops  and  bishops,  by 
what  is  called  a  conge  cVelire,  or  leave  to  elect.  The  revenues  of 
the  church  are  immense.  She  holds  in  fee  simple  the  right  of 
property  worth  one  hundred  and  forty  million  dollars  in  gold, 
the  anntial  income  of  which  goes  to  support  the  clergy.  And 
yet  not  more  than  7t«^the  population  of  England  and  Wales 
is  loyal  to  the  Established  Church,  and  but  forty  per' cent,  in 


England  and  the  English.  231 

Scotland  and  twelve  per  cent,  in  Ireland.  The  Archbishop  of 
Canterbury  has  a  yearly  income  of  $100,000  ;  .the  Archbishop 
of  York  IGO.OOO  ;  the  Bishop  of  London  $60,000  ;  the  Bishop 
of  Durham  $48,000  ;  the  Bishop  of  Winchester  $48,000  ;  the 
Bishop  of  Bath  and  Wells  $30,000  ;  the  Bishop  of  Carlisle 
$26,500;  the  Bishop  of  Chester  $26,500.  In  St.  Davids  the 
Bishop  TGcevM  $26,500  ;  in  Ely  $33,000  ;  in  Gloucester  $30,- 
000  ;  in  Litchfield  $26,000  ;  in  Lincoln  $30,000  ;  in  Norwich 
$26,000  ;  in  Oxford  $30,000  ;  in  Peterborough  $26,000  ;  in 
Eipon  $26,000  ;  in  Eochester  $30,000  ;  in  Salisbury  $30,000  ; 
in  Worcester  $32,500.  Now,  while  the  dignified  clergy  have 
such  immense  salaries,  it  is  a  burning  shame  that  many  poor 
curates  and  vicars,  who  perform  most  of  the  labor,  have  not 
anything  like  a  comfortable  support.  Not  long  ago  the 
Archbishop  of  York  made  an  address,  in  which  he  set  forth 
the  smaUness  of  the  incomes  of  many  of  the  clergy  in  the 
diocese  of  Carlisle.  He  said  :  "  In  this  diocese  there  are  al- 
most 500  parishes,  yet  no  less  than  175  of  them  provided 
their  incumbents  with  incomes  under  £150  a  year.  Two  of 
these  incumbents  have  less  than  £40  per  annum  of  income  ; 
six  have  less  than  $80  ;  ten  less^than  £90  ;  fourteen  less  than 
£100 ;  six  less  than  £110  ;  three  Ifess  than  £120  ;  six  less  than 
£130  ;  and  three  less  than  £120."  By  these  statistics  we  see 
the  unfairness  of  the  system  ;  the  clergy  who  do  the  work 
receive  barely  enough  to  live  upon,  while  those  who  do  but  lit- 
tle and  are  seldom  found  in  their  parishes  have  incomes  from 
twenty  to  one  hundred  thousand  dollars  per  year. 

In  comparing  the  salaries  with  the  a«iount  of  labor  per- 
formed, we  cannot   but  exclaim  with  the  Prince  of   Couti  : 


232  Ravibles  through  the  British  Ishs. 

"  Alas  !  our  good  God  is  but  very  ill  served  for  his  money." 
It  is  perfectly  unaccountable  bow  men  could  tolerate  so  long 
such  a  system  of  pious  fraud  and  favoritism.  Surely  its  days 
are  numbered.     It  must  come  to  an  end. 

The  disendowment  of  the  Irish  Church  was  the  entering 
wedge  between  the  English  Church  and  State.  It  is  the  cur- 
rent opinion  of  many  to-day,  even  within  Hfc  pale,  that  dis- 
estaUishment  is  not  far  in  the  distance.  Indeed,  the  present 
controversy,  which  is  going  on  between  high  and  low  church- 
men, in  reference  to  the  teachings  of  the  common  prayer- 
book,  is  indicative  of  the  coming  struggle.  And  the  anti- 
church  feeling  which  has  existed  in  England  for  years,  has 
been  augmenting  rapidly  since  the  passage  of  the  Irish  Church 
Bill. 

A  cry  has  been  raised,  about  the  ascendency  of  popery,  with 
the  weakening  of  the  Establishment.  And  fearing  this,  many 
quake  and  tremble.  It  is  well  known  that  if  the  prayer-book 
be  remodeled,  popish  teachings  being  expunged,  bringing  it 
more  into  accordance  with  the  i^rinciples  of  primitive  Christi- 
anity, the  high  churchmen  will  go  over  to  Eomanism,  —  they 
would  not  have  far  to  go  !  — which,  instead  of  being  a  loss  to 
the  Protestant  church,  would  be  a  great  blessing.  No  one 
will  dispute  the  fact  that  within  the  English  Church  to-day, 
there  is  a  class  of  Ritualists,  who  are  doing  more  to  retard  the 
onward  march  of  Protestantism,  than  these  same  persons  could 
do,  did  they  belong  to  Rome  by  name  as  they  now  belong  to  her 
by  deed.  The  wall  between  Ritualism  and  Romanism  is  very 
tbiu  !  ^ 

At  an  educational  meeting  in  Liverpool,  not  long  ago,  the 


Hugland  and  the  .Em/lisk.  233 

Rev.  Hugh  McNeil  told  a  story  wliich  shows  tlic  feeling  which 
exists  between  Puseyism  and  Romanism  :  "A  child  was  taken 
into  one  <3f  the  union  work-houses,  but  its  parents  could  not 
be  found,  no  one  could  tell  what  religion  it  was  of.  A  debate 
arose  whether  it  should  be  entered  as  a  Protestant  or  as  a 
Roman  Catholic.  While  they  were  debating,  the  priest  camo 
in,  and  on  being  informed  of  the  difficulty,  'Why,'  said  he, 
'  split  the  difference,  and  enter  it  as  a  Puseyite.'  " 

A  bill  of  divorcement  is  now  being  prepai'ed  for  the  Eng- 
lish Church  and  State.  They  must  be  separated !  So,  too, 
must  English  Protestants  and  the  common  prayer-book. 
"  The  Church  of  England  embraces  within  her  bosom  the 
widest  possible  varieties  of  opinion.  She  shelteraf  in  fact, 
nearly  every  possible  form  of  belief  lying  between  the  doc- 
trine of  the  papal  supremacy  and  the  denial  of  the  possibility 
of  the  miraculous,  and  between  extreme  Sacramentalism 
and  the  lowest  churchmanship.  She  cannot  help,  therefore, 
being  the  subject  of  constant  party  struggles.  Instead  of 
alternately  inserting  passages  to  please  opposite  shades  of 
opinion,  she  ought  wholly  to  have  abstained  from  attempting 
definition  on  points  where  she  intended  to  be  comprehensive. 
But  she  lacked  the  courage  to  pronounce  certain  dogmas  in- 
different, and  to  refuse  to  define  them.  And,  indeed,  at  the 
time  of  the  Reformation  it  was  hardly  possible  that  a  church  , 
should  have  been  based  upon  truly  comprehensive  principles. 
A  wide  interval  separated  such  a  church  from  the  line  of 
thought  in  which  the  reformers  had  been  brought  up. 
Though  they  had  shaken  themselves  clear  of  the  forms  of  the 
old  faith,  they  were  still  animated  by  the  spirit  of  scholasti- 


234  Ramlles  throucfh  the  British  Isles. 

• 
cism.  Tbey  had  never  been  led  to  question  the  omnipotence 
of  the  syllogism  for  the  discovery  of  truth.  Natural  science 
was  then  unborn.  The  limits  of  human  intellect  wdl-e  unde- 
termined. A  critical  knowledge  of  history  was  unthought 
of.  The  principles  of  toleration  were  yet  in  their  cradle.  To 
have  refused  to  assume  the  appearance  of  attempting  to  em- 
body in  formal  statements  all  credenda,  whether  within  or 
beyond  the  limit  of  the  human  understanding,  would  have  been 
viewed  as  little  else  than  heresy.  But  such  a  mode  of  com- 
prehension is  no  longer  suited  to  the  genius  of  the  age,  which 
requires  that  what  was  attempted  in  former  times  by  insert- 
ing incongruous  statements,  to  please  different  classes  of  opin- 
ion, should  now  be  accomplished  by  a  careful  removal  of  every 
thing  which  clashes  with  the  fundamental  opinions  of  any 
whom  the  Church  intends  to  comprehend.  If  she  is  to  be  a 
Protestant  State  Church,  then  a  necessary  condition  of  the 
union  is,  that  neither  the  State  nor  the  Church  shall  recognize 
the  interpolation  of  the  priest  as  between  man  and  God.  No 
state  in  a  free  land  can  with  safety  encourage  a  church  whose 
priesthood  claims  to  be  a  caste  separated  from  the  rest  of 
mankind  by  the  possession  of  exclusive  power.  Such  an  ac- 
knowledgment at  once  introduces  an  element  into  politics 
fatal  to  the  supremacy  of  civil  power,  tending  ever  toward 
•temporal  anarchy  and  spiritual  despotism." 

The  sooner  the  Protestants  who  are  found  within  the  pale 
of  the  English  Church  C(9wieo2/^/;'om /if?"  the  better  for  themselves 
and  the  world.  For  ages  she  has  been  moving  step  after  step 
Eomeward,  until  now  she  stands  knocking  at  the  gate,  wait- 
ing for  an  entrance. 


Unghnul  and  the  English.  235 

On  the  alarming  i)rogress  of  Bomanisin  in  England  I  will 
give  the  opinion  of  one  of  her  most  wide-awake  sons,  Rev. 
Charles  H.  Spurgeon.  He  says  :  «'  It  is  a  most  fearful  fact 
that  in  no  age  since  the  Reformation  has  Fcpeinj  made  such  fearful 
strides  in  England  as  during  the  past  few  years.  I  had  com- 
fortably believed  that  Popery  was  only  feeding  itself  upon 
foreign  subscriptions,  upon  a  few  titled  perverts,  and  import- 
ed monks  and  nuns.  I  dreamed  that  its  progress  was  not 
real.  In  fact,  I  have  often  smiled  at  the  alarm  of  many  of 
my  bf  ethren  at  the  progress  of  Popery.  But  my  dear  friends, 
we  have  been  mistaken,  grievously  mistaken.  If  you  will 
read  a  valuable  paper  in  the  magazine  called  Christian  WorJc, 
those  of  you  who  are  not  acqujiinted  with  it  will  be  perfectly 
startled  at  its  revelations.  This  great  city  (London)  is  now 
covered  with  a  net  work  of  monks,  and  priests,  and  Sisters  of 
Mercy,  and  the  conversions  made  are  not  by  ones  or  twos,  but 
by  scores,  till  England  is  being  regarded  as  the  most  hopeful 
spot  for  Eomish  missionary  enterprise  in  the  whole  world  ; 
and  at  the  present  moment  there  is  not  a  mission  which  is 
succeeding  to  anything  like  the  extent  of  the  English  mis- 
sion. I  covet  not  their  money,  I  despise  their  sophistries,  but 
I  marvel  at  the  way  in  which  they  gain  their  funds  for  the 
erection  of  their  ecclesiastical  buildings.  It  is  an  alarming 
matter  to  see  so  many  of  our  countrymen  going  off  to  that 
superstition,  which,  as  a  nation,  we  once  rejected,  and  which 
it  was  supposed  we  should  never  again  receive.  Popery  is 
making  advances  such  as  you  would  never  believe  though  a 
spectator  should  tell  it  to  you.  Close  to  your  very  doors,  per- 
haps even  in  your  own  houses,  you  may  have  evidence  ere 


236  RamUes  through  the  British  Isles. 

long  of  -what  a  march  Romanisni  is  making.  And  to  what  is 
it  to  be  ascribed  ?  I  say,  with  every  ground  of  probability, 
that  there  is  no  marvel  that  Popery  should  increase  when  you 
have  two  things  to  make  it  grow  ;  first  of  all,  the  falsehood  of 
those  who  profess  a  faith  which  they  do  not  ielieve,  which  is 
quite  contrary  to  the  honesty  of  the  Eomanist,  who  does 
through  evil  report  and  good  report  hold  his  faith  ;  and  then 
you  have,  secondly,  this  form  of  error  known  as  baptismal  regener- 
ation, and  commonly  called  Puseyism,  which  is  not  only  Pusey- 
ism  but  Church-of-England-ism,  because  it  is  in  the  PrUyerSooTc, 
as  plainly  as  words  can  express  it.  You  have  this  baptismal 
regeneration  preparing  stepping-stones  to  make  it  easy  for 
men  to  go  to  Pome.  I  have  but  to  open  my  eyes  a  little  to 
foresee  Eomanism  rampant  everywhere  in  the  future,  since  its 
germs  are  spreading  everywhere  in  the  present.  In  one  of 
our  courts  of  legislature  but  last  Tuesday,  the  Lord  Chief- 
Justice  showed  his  superstition,  by  speaking  of  the  '  risk  of 
the  calamity  of  children  dying  unbaptized  !'  Among  Dis- 
senters you  see  a  veneration  for  structures,  a  modified  belief 
in  the  sacredness  of  places,  which  is  all  idolatry  ;  for  to 
believe  in  the  sacredness  of  anything  but  of  God  and  of 
His  own  Word,  is  to  idolize,  whether  it  is  to  believe  in  the  sa- 
credness of  the  men,  the  priests,  or  in  the  sacredness  of  the 
bricks  and  mortar,  or  of  the  fine  Unen,  or  what  not,  which  you 
may  use  in  the  worship  of  God.  I  see  this  coming  up  every- 
where, a  belief  in  ceremony,  a  resting  in  ceremony,  a  venera- 
tion for  altars,  fonts,  and  churches ;  a  veneration  so  profound 
that  we  must  not  venture  upon  a  remark,  or  straightway  of 
sinners  we  are  chief.     Here  is  the  essence  and  soul  of  Popery, 


England  and  the  Unglish.  237 

peeping  up  under  tlie  garb  of  a  decent  respect  for  sacred 
things.  It  is  impossible  but  that  the  Church  of  Rome  must 
spread,  when  we  who  are  the  watch-dogs  of  the  fold  are  silent, 
and  others  are  gently  and  smoothly  turfing  the  road,  and 
making  it  as  soft  and  smooth  as  possible,  that  converts  may 
travel  down  to  the  nethermost  hell  of  Popery.  We  want 
John  Knox  back  again.  Do  not  talk  to  me  of  mild  and  gentle 
men,  of  soft  manners  and  squeamish  words,  we  want  the  fiery 
Knox,  and  even  though  his  vehemence  should  '  ding  our  pul- 
pits into  blades,'  it  were  well  if  he  did  but  roT#e  our  hearts  to 
action.  "We  want  Luther  to  tell  men  the  truth  unmistakably, 
in  homely  phrase.  The  velvet  has  got  into  our  ministers' 
mouths  of  late,  but  we  must  unrobe  ourselves  of  soft  raiment, 
and  truth  must  be  spoken,  and  nothing  but  truth  ;  for  of  all 
lies  which  have  dragged  millions  down  to  hell,  I  look  upon 
this  as  being  one  of  the  most  atrocious,  that  in  a  Protestant 
Church  there  should  be  found  those  who  swear  that  baptism 
saves  the  soul.  Call  a  man  a  Baptist,  er  a  Presbyterian,  or  a 
Dissenter,  or  a  Churchman,  that  is  nothing  to  me,  if  he  says 
baptism  saves  the  soul,  out  upon  him,  out  upon  him,  he  states 
what  God  never  taught,  what  the  Bible  never  laid  down,  and 
what  ought  n^ver  to  be  maintained  by  men  who  profess  that 
the  Bible,  and  the  whole  Bible,  is  the  religion  of  Protestants." 
The  English  Church  is  not  without  some  good  and  great 
men  to-day.  They  are  the  salt ;  her  rotteness  and  putrefaction 
would  soon  appear  should  they  be  removed.  Nor  are  we  for- 
getful of  the  good  and  the  great  who  belonged  to  her  in  the 
past ;  we  think  of  Butler,  Stillingfleet,  Brown,  Tillotson, 
Beveridge,  Boyle,  Law,  Leightou,  and   many  others  whose 


238  Ramlles  through  the  British  Isles. 

names  are  as  precious  ointment  poured  forth.  And  in  still 
later  days  her  Newton  and  Scott,  Cecil  and  Richmond,  Milner 
and  Martyn,  men  honored  of  heaven  in  "  turning  many  from 
darkness  to  light,  and  from  the  power  of  Satan  unto  God  ;" 
and  to  whose  labors  the  whole  Christian  world  is  greatly  in- 
debted. Yet  still  we  say,  let  the  Establishment  go.  Let  the 
Church  be  disenthralled  from  the  yoke  of  bondage,  and  puri- 
fied from  her  defilements  ;  let  her  take  a  stand  side  by  side  with 
the  Protestant  Churches  of  the  land.  The  signs  of  change 
are  manifest,  ^ghty  central  fires  are  glowing  beneath  the 
crust  of  rites  and  ceremonies,  which  in  the  days  of  ignor- 
ance God  suffered ;  they  are  forcing  themselves  up  to  sight, 
and  by  their  purifying  touch  she  must  perish  or  be  set  free  from 
her  tin  and  dross. 

God  speed  the  day  !  and  bless  the  cause  of  Protestantism 
the  world  over  ! 

The  English  are  not  without  their  feculiarities.  An  Irish- 
man, it  is  said,  fights  bofore  he  reasons ;  a  Scotchman  reasons 
before  he  fights ;  but  an  Englishman  is  not  so  particular ; 
he  is  ready  for  either  to  accommodate  his  customers.  He 
has  a  sharp  eye  to  business,  but  not  so  wedded  to  it  as  to  forget 
pleasure.  He  will  eat  veal  or  mutton,  but  has  a  decided 
preference  for  roast  beef.  He  is  loyal  throughout,  and  when 
shouting  "  God  save  the  Queen  !  "  at  the  top  of  his  voice,  all 
who  know  him,  understand  full  well  that  he  means  himself, 
his  estates,  his  rents,  his  shares,  his  wares  and  his  ships.  He 
is  religious,  but  not  over  much.  He  prays  through  the 
forms  of  the  church  book,  but  occasionally  wanders  off  into 
a  form  fashioned  by  himself,  and  more  after  the  desire  of  his 


England  and  Ih  English.  239 

own  lieart.  Doubtless  not  differing  much  from  the  following 
which  Wiis  made  by  John  Ward,  of  Hackney,  England,  and 
found  in  his  own  handwriting;  "O  Lord,  thou  knowest 
that  I  have  nine  estates  in  the  city  of  London,  and  likewise 
that  I  have  purchased  an  estate  in  fee  simple  in  the  county  of 
Essex.  I  beseech  thee  to  preserve  the  two  counties  of  Middle- 
sex and  Essex  from  fire  and  earthquakes  As  I  have  a  mort- 
gage in  Hertfordshire,  I  beg  thee  to  have  an  eye  of  compas- 
sion on  that  county,  and  for  the  rest  of  the  counties  thou 
mayest  deal  with  them  as  thou  art  pleased.  O,  Lord,  enable 
the  banks  to  answer  all  their  bills,  and  make  my  debts  on 
good  men.  Give  a  prosperous  voyage  and  return  to  the  Mer- 
maid sloop,  because  I  have  insured  it.  And  as  thou  hast 
said  the  days  of  the  wicked  are  but  short,  I  trust  in  thee  that 
thou  wilt  not  forget  thy  promise,  as  I  have  purchased  an 
estate  in  reversion,  which  will  be  mine  upon  the  death  of  that 
profligate  young  man,  Sir  I.  L.  Keep  me  from  sinking,  and 
preserve  me  from  thieves  and  housebreakers,  and  make  all  my 
servants  so  honest  and  faithful  that  they  may  attend  to  my 
interests,  and  never  cheat  me  out  of  my  property,  night  or 
day." 

Home  is  the  most  attractive  spot  on  earth  to  an  Eng- 
lishman. Lamartine  says :  "  The  citizen  of  Great  Britain  is  a 
patriarch  in  his  home,  a  poet  in  his  forest,  an  orator  in  his  pub- 
lic places,  a  merchant  at  his  counter,  a  hero  in  his  navy,  a  cos- 
mopolite on  the  soil  of  his  colonies,  but  a  cosmopolite,  carry- 
ing with  him  to  every  continent  his  indelible  individuality 
In  the  ancient  raofc  there  are  none  to  resemble  him.    One 


2-iO  Ramhles  through  the  British  Isles. 

cannot  define  him,  in  politics  or  in  literature,  but  by  his 
name — the  Englishman  is  an  Englishman.'" 

The  English  live  laore  out  of  doors  than  do  Americans. 
Hence  they  are  more  robust  and  rugged,  and  upon  almost 
every  cheek  may  be  seen  the  impress  of  health.  They  are 
lovers  of  sport,  and  for  it  they  are  willing  to  sacrifice  time  and 
money.  Their  faith  in  muscular  developements  is  strong,  and 
with  Quater  they  think  that  manly  exercises  are  the  founda- 
tion of  ihat  elevation  of  mind  which  gives  one  nature  ascend  - 
ance  over  another ;  or,  with  the  Arabs,  that  the  days  spent  in 
the  chase  are  not  counted  in  the  length  of  life.  They  box, 
run,  shoot,  ride,  row,  and  sail  from  pole  to  pole.  They  eat 
and  drink,  and  live  jolly  in  the  open  air,  putting  a  bar  of 
solid  sleep  between  day  and  day.  They  walk  and  ride  as  fast 
as  they  can,  their  head  bent  forward,  as  if  urged  on  some 
pressing  affair.  The  French  say  that  *'  Englishmen  in  the 
street  always  walk  straight  before  them  like  tnad  dogs."  Yet 
with  all  their  love  for  pleasure  they  differ  very  materially  from 
the  French  in  that  they  are  not  carried  away,  and  made  for- 
getful of  business  by  it.  In  one  of  the  latter  days  of  Fox,  the 
conversation  turned  on  the  comparative  wisdom  of  the  French 
and  English  character.  "  The  Frenchman,"  it  was  observed, 
"  delights  himself  with  the  present ;  the  Englishman  makes 
himself  anxious  about  the  future.  Is  not  the  Frenchman  the 
wiser  ?  "  "  He  may  be  the  merrier,"  said  Fox,  "  but  did  you 
ever  hear  of  a  savage  who  did  not  buy  a  mirror  in  preference 
to  a  telescope  ?  " 

The  English  are  a  practical  people.  T^ey  like  fact  much 
better  than  fiction  ;  and  with  the  matter-of-fact  speech — dry 


England  and  the  Unglish.  241 

statistics  huddled  together,  which  the  American  people  would 
not  tolerate"*— they  are  more  pleased  than  with  figures  or  flow- 
ers gathered  from  the  fields,  forests  and  gardens  of  the  world's 
broad  acres.  Like  the  Irishman  who  avus  once  committed  to 
the  House  of  Correction  for  a  misdemeanor,  and  sentenced  to 
work  on  the  tread-wheel  for  the  space  of  three  months,  at 
the  expiration  of  his  term  he  observed  that  he  saw  no  practi- 
cal use  in  the  thing :  "  What  a  great  dale  of  fatigue  and  both- 
eration it  would  have'saved  us  poor  crathers,  if  they  had  but 
invinted  it  to  go  by  stheeme,  Ws.e  all  other  water-mills ;  for 
burn  me  if  I  have  not  been  after  going  up  stairs  for  this  four 
weeks,  but  could  not  reach  the  chamber  door  at  all,  at  all." 

Houses  and  lands,  stocks  and  consols  are  to  them  things  of 
potency  and  pathos.  "  They  love  the  lever,  the  screw,  and 
pulley  ;  the  Flander's  draught-horse,  the  waterfall,  windmills, 
tidemills ,  the  sea  and  the  wind  to  bear  their  freighted 
ships.  More  than  the  diamond  Koh-i-noor,  which  glitters 
among  their  crown  jewels,  they  prize  the  dull  pebble,  which 
is  wiser  than  a  man,  and  whose  poles  turn  tliemselves  to  the 
poles  of  the  world,  and  whose  axis  is  parallel  to  the  axis  of 
the  world.  Now  their  toys  are  steam  and  galvanism.  They 
are  heavy  at  the  fine  arts,  but  adroit  at  the  coarse  ;  not  good 
in  jewelry  or  mosaics,  but  the  best  iwx  masters,  colliers, 
"woolcombers,  and  tanners  in  Europe.  They  apply  them- 
selves to  agriculture,  to  draining,  to  resisting  encroachments  of 
sea  winds,  travelling  sands,  cold  and  wet  subsoil ;  to  fishery, 
to  manufacture  of  indispensable  staples, — salt,  plumbago, 
leather,  wool,  glass,  pottery,  and  brick, — to  bees  and  silk 
worms ;   and  by  their  steady  combinations  they  succeed.     A 


242  RamUes  through  the  British  Isles. 

manufacturer  sits  down  to  dinner  in  a  suit  of  clothes  which 
was  wool  on  the  sheep's  back  at  sunrise.  Yoft.  dine  with  a 
gentleman  on.  venison,  pheasant,  quail,  pigeons,  poultry, 
mushrooms,  and  pineapples,  all  the  growth  of  his  estate.  They 
are  neat  husbands  for  ordering  all  their  tools  pertaining  to 
house  and  field.  All  are  well  kept.  There  is  no  want,  and 
no  waste.  They  study  use  and  fitness  in  their  buildings,  and 
in  their  dress.  The  Frenchman  invented  the  ruffle  ;  the  Eng- 
lishman added  the  shirt.  The  Englishman  wears  a  sensible 
coat,  buttoned  to  the  chin,  d?  rough  but  solid  and  lasting  text- 
ure. If  he  is  a  lord,  he  dresses  a  little  worse  than  a  common- 
er. They  have  diffused  the  taste  for  plain,  substantial  hats, 
shoes,  and  coats,  through  Europe.  They  think  him  the  best 
dressed  man,  whose  dress  is  so  fit  for  his  use  that  you  cannot 
notice,  nor  remember  to  describe  it.  They  secure  the  essen- 
tials in  their  diet,  in  their  arts  and  manufactures  ;  they  have 
impressed  their  directness  and  practical  habits  on  modern 
civilization." 

The  women  of  England  are  more  muscular,  and  less  beauti- 
ful than  our  American.  They  have  more  rose-colored  cheeks 
and  cherry  lips,  of  nature's  own  adorning?  Few  of  the  Eng- 
lish women  paint  their  faces.  They  exercise  so  much  in  open 
air,  and  give  themselves  up  so  much  to  the  obedience  of  na- 
ture's primitive  laws,  that  they  need  it  not ;  nature  gives  their 
cheeks  and  lips  a  beauty  of  finish  which  cannot  be  copied  by 
the  artist's  brush. 

In  dress  and  manners  they  in  general  avoid  peculiarities  ; 
being  more  desirous  to  have  their  garments  rich  and  comfort- 
able than  to  fall  in  with  the  miserable  fashion  which  compels 


Migland  and  the  Eiujlish.  243 

a  lady  to  wear  such  things  as  will  call  forth  the  gaze  of  tho 
sensual  crowd. 

There  is  a  gruffness  and  stiffness  about  the  men  of 
England  which  is  anything  but  agreeable  to  a  stranger. 
They  are  not  so  obliging  as  either  the  Scotch  or  Irish. 
To  make  an  inquiry  of  a  stranger  you  should  happen  to 
meet  is  only  just  so  much  lost  time.  You  will  know  about  as 
much  before  you  ask  tho  question  as  after  you  receive  the  an- 
swer. If  your  question  is  responded  to,  the  information  will 
be  about  as  clear  as  the  evidence  which  a  Yorkshire  man  gave 
at  one  time  in  a  case  of  assault,  where  a  stone  had  been  thrown 
by  the  defendant  :  "  Did  you  see  the  defendant  throw  the 
stone  V  ''  "I  saw  a  stone,  and  I'ze  pretty  sure  the  defendant 
throwed  it.  "  "  Was  it  a  large  stone  ?  "  "  I  should  say  it  was  a 
largish  stone.''  "  What  was  its  size  ?  "  "  I  should  say  a  size- 
able stone.  "  "  Can't  you  answer  definitely  how  big  it  was  r  " 
"  I  should  say  it  wur  a  stone  of  some  bigness.  "  "  Can't  you 
compare  it  to  some  object  ?"  "  Whji,  if  I  war  to  compar  it,  so 
as  to  give  some  notion  of  the  stone,  I  should  say  it  wur  as 
large  as  a  lump  of  chalk." 

Thfey  are  a  proud,  self-complacent  people,  proud  of  every- 
thing that  belongs  to  England,  even  of  her  follies ;  and 
this  is  more  true  o^^  the  second  class  than  of  the  first,  who 
avoid  strenuously  the  peculiarities  of  the  class  "  below  stairs  " 
and  ape  with  all  their  might  the  class  above  them.  This  is 
not  only  shown  by  their  conversation  and  manner  of  dress, 
but  even  by  their  gait.  An  Irishman,  seeing  one  of  this 
class  walking  with  more  pomposity  than  a  lord,  in  front  of  a 
grand  row  of  houses,  stepped  up  to  him  and  inquired,  "  What 


244  Ramlles  through  the  British  Isles. 

rent  do  you  ask  for  these  houses  ?  "  "  Why  do  you  ask  me  such 
a  question  ?  "  said  he.  "  Faith,  and  I  thought  the  whole  ter- 
race belonged  to  ye  V  "  replied  Patrick.  But  after  all,  simi- 
lar things  might  be  said  of  us.  For  who  are  we  ?  "Whence 
came  our  fathers  ?     Were  they  not  English  ? 

"Indeed  this  world  was  a  brave  old  world, 

In  the  days  lon^  past  and  gone ; 
And  the  sun  he  shone,  and  the  rain  it  rained, 

And  the  world  went  merrily  on. 
The  shepherd  kept  his  sheep, 

And  the  milkmaid  milked  her  kine. 
And  the  serving-man  was  a  sturdy  loon 

In  a  cap  and  a  doublet  fine. 

"And  I've  been  told,  in  this  brave  old  world. 

There  were  jolly  times  and  free ; 
And  they  laughed  and  sung  till  the  welkin  rung, 

All  under  the  greenwood  tree. 
The  sexton  chimed  his  sweet,  sweet  bells. 

And  the  huntsman  wound  his  horn, 
And  the  hunt  went  out  with  a  merry  shout. 

Beneath  the  jovial  morn. 
• 
"And  so  went  by,  in  this  brave  old  world. 

Those  merry  days  and  free; 
The  king  drank  wine,  and  the  clown  drank  ale — 

Each  man  in  his  degree. 
And  some  ruled  well,  and  some  ruled  ill — 

And  thus  passed  ou  the  time, 
"With  jolly  ways  in  those  brave  old  days 

"When  this  world  was  in  its  prime." 


'i^0tta«l. 


"  Land  of  brown  heath  and  shaggy  woods, 
Land  of  the  mountain  and  the  flood, 
Land  of  my  sires." 


n 


1^ 


I'll 


Glasgow  Univeksixx. 


XXV. 

City  of  Glasgow. 

m  view  the  manners  of  the  town, 
Peruse  the  traders,  gaze  upon  the  buildings. 
And  then  return  and  sleep  within  mine  inn, 
For  with  long  travel  I  am  stiff  and  weary. 

Shakespeare. 

?fe^^p^^  N  approacliing  Glasgow,  by  way  of  the  Clyde, 

-'^^/^^SM    *^®  ^^^^  things  which  attract  the  attention, 

-  'I  ^^1 '  '^y'/f  •1'    ^^^  ^^  innumerable  high  chimneys,  towering 

'^   -'J    above  the  mist  and  smoke.     One  of  these 

himneys  stands  as  a  giant  among  all  the  rest, 

and  is  called  "  Tennant's  Stalk."     It  is  erected 

^   Liius  high  for  the  purpose  of  carrying  off  the  many 


■d^^  th 


Ml  »,.  ^ 

^},^^J:^^  noxious  vapors  which  rise  from  one  of  the  largest 

chemical  works  in  Great   Britain;   its  altitude  is  over  four 

hundred  and  fifty  feet. 

My  first  impression  on  entering  the  city,  was  unfavorable  ;' 
having  spent  the  previous  day  in  attempting  to  see  all  the 
objects  and  places  of  interest  in  Belfast,  Ireland,  and  failing 
to  secure  a  good  night's  sleep  while  crossing  the  channel,  I 
was  not  in  a  very  good  mood  for  sight-seeing  when  I  reached 
Glasgow. 

It  seemed  to  me,  that  the  atmosphere  was  so   filled  with 


248  Ramhhs  through  the  British  Isles. 

vapor  and  smoke,  that  you  could  cut  it  with  a  knife.  I  really- 
thought  I  should  have  to  leave  the  city  without  seeing  it, 
because  of  the  difficulty  experienced  in  breathing,  but  after  a 
few  hoiu-s  had  passed  I  did  not  notice  it  so  much,  and  before 
my  visit  was  ended  I  had  almost  forgotten  it. 

Glasgow  is  situated  on  the  banks  of  the  Clyde,  about 
twenty  miles  from  its  mouth  ;  and  in  point  of  wealth,  popu- 
lation, enterprise,  and  commercial  importance  is  the  third  city 
in  the  British  Isles.  The  city  proper  is  on  the  bank  of  the 
river,  which  is  spanned  by  five  bridges,  one  of  which  is  a  slen- 
der suspension  bridge,  and  only  used  fox  foot  passengers. 
The  Clyde,  which  naturally  was  not  navigable  to  the  city, 
except  by  shallow  or  flat-bottomed  craft,  has  been  deepened  so 
as  to  admit  ships  drawing  from  twenty  to  thirty  feet  of  water. 
Eunning  along  the  stream  is  a  wide  street,  open  toward  the 
river,  with  sheds,  called  the  Broomielaw,  Here  may  be  seen 
steam  and  sailing  ships,  from  every  civilized  country  in  the 
world — both  great  and  small. 

The  labor  required  to  dig  out  this  noble  harbor,  must  have 
been  immense  ;  and  is  in  itself  an  index  to  the  spirit  of  enter- 
prise which  marks  this  people.  A  gentleman  whose  hospi- 
tality I  shared  during  my  stay  in  the  city,  told  me  that  when 
he  was  a  boy  he  often  waded  across  the  Clyde,  where  now 
almost  any  of  our  ocean  steamships  can  j^ly  about  with  the 
greatest  ease ! 

Little  of  the  early  history  of  this  ancient  city  is  known  ; 
and  up  to  the  eleventh  century  almost  everything  connected 
with  it  is,  like  itself,  involved  in  clouds  and  smoke.  It  now 
contains  over  one  hundred  miles  of  paved  and  macadamized 


City  of  Glasgow.  249 

streets,  with  a  population  of  about  five  hundred  thousand. 
Several  of  its  streets  are  more  than  common,  they  are  grand ! 

The  mercantile  capital  of  Glasgow,  up  to  1775,  was  chiefly- 
employed  in  the  tobaccs  trade  with  the  American  colonies, 
which  added  much  to  their  wealth  and  gave  to  them  the  name 
of  "  Tobacco  Lords,"  but  this  was  arrested  by  the  breaking 
out  of  the  Eevolutiou.  Even  now  one  may  see  evidences  of 
their  former  glory  in  many  fine  residences  and  elegant  streets 
which  remain. 

After  the  Revolution  the  citizens  began  to  turn  their  at- 
tention to  the  manufacture  of  cotten  and  linen  goods,  for 
which  Glasgow  is  now  pre-eminent.  It  was  at  the  close  of 
the  last  century  that  this  branch  of  trade  began  to  increase 
rapidly  in  importance.  This  doubtless  was  owing,  in  a  great 
measure,  to  the  breaking  out  of  the  French  Revolution,  which 
for  a  time  limited  the  manufacturers  on  the  continent,  thereby 
giving  an  impetus  to  those  of  Great  Britain,  in  which  impe- 
tus Glasgow  largely  shared. 

It  is  impossible  to  form  a  correct  estimate  of  the  large  num- 
ber of  hand-loom  weavers  employed  in  Glasgow,  but  they  are 
supposed  to  number  about  forty  thousand,  and  the  produce  of 
their  labor  is  valued  at  about  three  millions  sterling  per 
annum. 

Power  loom  weaving  was  introduced  into  Glasgow  in  1792, 
but  did  not  accomplish  much  for  about  ten  years.  "  At  pres- 
ent, about  25,000  steam-looms  produce  a  daily  average  of  625,- 
000  yards  of  cloth,  making  in  a  year  of  300  working  days, 
187,500,000  yards,"  the  probable  value  of  which  must  be  about 
four  millions  sterling  a  year. 


250  Rambles  through  the  British  Isles. 

About  the  same  time  tliat  steam  power  was  introduced  for 
weaving  purposes,  the  spinning  of  cotton  yarn  was  commenced 
in  Glasgow.  This  branch  of  industry  has  also  rapidly  in- 
creased, there  being  now  1,800,000  Spindles  in  constant  mo- 
tion. The  value  of  the  products  are  assumed  to  be  between 
four  and  five  million  sterling.  "In  1818  only  46,565  bales  of 
cotton  were  consumed,  while  in  1861  the  amount  had  increas- 
ed to  120,000  bales." 

But  cotton  is  not  the  only  article  of  manufacture  ;  silk  and 
rich  foreign  wools  are  used  with  much  success. 

Another  source  of  wealth  to  Glasgow,  is  the  iron  trade 
which  has  been  greatly  augmented  within  the  last  few  years, 
indeed,  the  "  iron  lof  ds  threaten  to  eclipse  the  cotton  lords,  as 
the  cotton  lords  formerly  eclipsed  the  tobacco  lords."  In  1830 
there  was-only  sixteen  smelting  furnaces,  which  sent  out  on 
an  average  two  thousand  five  hundred  tons,  amounting  in  all 
to  about  forty  thousand  tons  for  the  year.  This  amount  was 
greatly  increased  by  the  invention  of  the  hot  blast,  by  which 
one-third  more  iron  is  produced  with  less  than  one-half  of  the 
fuel.  So  that  in  1860  the  enormous  quantity  of  one  hundred 
thousand  tons  of  pig  iron  and  ninety  thousand  tons  of  mallea- 
ble iron  was  produced. 

Ship  building  has  arisen  to  great  importance  ;  and  Clyde- 
built  steamships  are  of  world-wide  notoriety.  For  over  a  mile 
below  the  city,  both  sides  of  the  river  are  covered  with  ship 
yards,  where  many  hands  wield  many  hammers,  creating  a 
jargon  which  is  anything  but  agreeable. 

But  enough  in  reference  to  the  commercial  aspect  of  the 
city.     In  George's   Square,  which,  by  the  way,  is  the  hand- 


Citij  of  Glasgow.  251 

somest  and  largest  in  the  city,  arc  the  principal  monuments, 
lu  the  centre  rises  a  Grecian  column  to  Sir  "Walter  Scott,  one 
hundred  feet  high.  Just  in  the  front  of  this  is  a  pedestrian 
statue,  in  bronze,  of  Sir  John  Moore,  a  native  of  Glasgow,  who 
fell  at  Corunua,  in  Spain,  1009.  Who  has  not  read  the  poem 
written  on  the  burial  of  Sir  John  ? 

"  Not  a  drum  was  lieard,  nor  a  funeral  note, 
As  his  corpse  to  the  rampart  we  huiried." 

On  the  right  of  Sir  John  Moore's  is  a  bronze  figure  of  James 
AVatt,  the  inventor  of  the  first  practical  steam  engine  in 
Europe.  To  the  left  is  one  of  Sir  Eobert  Peel,  from  the  studio 
of  Mossman.  On  the  right  is  an  equestrian  statue  of  the 
good  Queen  Victoria,  to  commemorate  he%  visit  to  the  city,  in 
1849,  and  one  to  the  late  Prince  Consort.  While  in  the  city 
I  spent  some  time  in  the  University,  which  was  founded  in 
the  fifteenth  century,  and  whose  history  is  one  of  great  honor. 
The   average  annual  attendance  of  students  is  one  thousand. 

This  antique,  venerable,  and  monastic  looking  building,  is 

situated  in  the  oldest  part  of  the  city,  and  was  erected  in  the 

seventeenth  century,  as  is  seen  from  the  following  inscription  : 

H^.  ^DES.  EXSTRUCT^.  SUNT. 

ANNO.  DOM.  MDCLVI. 

The  structure  is  of  stone,  made  black  by  age  and  smoke. 
Doubtless  at  one  time  it  bore  a  very  imposing  appearance,  but 
time  and  progress  in  building  have  left  it  in  the  background. 
The  stone  balcony  in  front  is  rather  a  peculiar  kind  of  an- 
cient ornamentation  which  cannot  be  appreciated  in  our  day. 
After  gazing  at  the  exterior  I  passed  through  the  central  gate 
into  the  courtyard,  and  having  secured  a  ticket  entered  the 


252  Mamhles  through  the  British  Isles. 

Hunterian  Museum,  so  called,  being  founded  by  the  celebra- 
ted anatomist,  Wm.  Hunter,  who  presented  it  to  the  Univer- 
sity. To  go  into  detail  would  be  imposibie— I  will  not  attempt 
it.  Suffice  to  say,  the  collection  as  a  whole  is  one  of  the  first 
in  the  kingdom,  and  is  particularly  remarkable  for  its  Ana- 
tomical Museum. 

Among  the  may  things  of  interest  are  several  little  ma- 
chines on  which  it  is  said,  Watt,  when  a  boy,  developed  his 
genius.  Little  did  he  think  what  a  power  steam  would  be- 
come— and  to  what  perfection  his  engine  in  embryo  should  be 
brought,  even  in  his  own  day — while  working  over  these  first 
principles  ! 

And  little  did  his  aunt  think  that  her  nephew  would  ever 
accomplish  anything  for  himself — much  less  for  the  world  ! 
History  relates  that  one  day  she  admonished  him  after  this 
manner  :  "Are  you  not  ashamed  of  yourself,  James,  to  sit 
moping  and  idling  there  ?  I  do  believe  that  at  times  you 
don't  know  what  you  are  doing.  I  have  noticed  you  this 
long  time,  and  not  a  thing  have  you  done  but  look  at  the  steam 
of  the  kettle,  taking  off  the  lid  and  putting  it  on  again,  and 
watching  the  steam  turn  into  drops  of  water.  Do,  for  good- 
ness' sake,  leave  off  this  idleness,  and  set  about  something 
useful." 

How  strange  are  the  unfoldings  of  genius  ! 

On  the  right  of  the  court  is  the  library,  containing  about 
sixty  thousand  volumes,  and  on  the  left  are  the  homes  of  the 
professors.  The  class  and  lecture  rooms  are  very  old-fashioned, 
and  in  general  much  out  of  repair.  It  seemed  strange  to  me 
that  a  place  so  richly  endowed,  as  the  University,  should  lin- 


City  of  Glasgow.  253 

• 

get  so  far  beliind  tlie  age  in  modern  improvements  ;  but  when 
I  remembered  that  on  these  old  seats  and  in  these  class  and 
lecture  rooms  were  trained  such  men  as  Melville,  Baillie,  Bur- 
net, Simpson,  Hutchison,  Black,  Cullen  and  Miller,  I  felt  as 
if  it  would  be  next  to  sacrilege  to  touch  a  single  seat,  or  re- 
move a  single  table  ! 


<^y%    /^, 


The  small  and  the  great  are  there." 

XXVI. 

Glasgow  CATHi?DKAL. 

The  wrought  oaken  beams, 

Pillars,  and  frieze,  and  high  fantastic  roof. — Keats. 

HIS  is  one  of  the  best  specimens  of  old  eccle- 
siastical  architecture   north   of    the   Tweed. 
Few  cathedrals,  if  any  in  the  kingdom,  have 
A  '1  M^Ai'  ^-^    stood  the   storms  of  so  many  centuries,  and 
>  iFxl^r^?/  come  off  with  so  little  injury.    Built  in  the  middle 
ages,  yet  its  brow  bears  but  few  of  the  furrows  of 
time.     Its  position  is  on  nearly  the  highest  ground 
in  the  city,  and  at  one  time  it  must   have  been  sin- 
gularly imposing. 

The  yard  by  which  the  cathedral  is  surrounded,  is  not  ex- 
tensive ;  yet  judging  from  the  many  gravestones,  which  cover 
it  so  closely,  leaving  scarcely  room  for  a  blade  of  grass,  it  must 
contain  more  of  the  sleeping  dust  than  the  Necropolis.  1 
wandered  for    some   time  over  these  time-worn,   and  letter- 


Glasgow  Cathedral.  255 

effaced  tablets,  and  thought :  "  Thus  man  passes  away ;  his  name 
perishes  from  record  and  recollection  j  his  history  is  as  a  tale 
that  is  told,  and  as  a  dream  of  the  night."  Near  the  entrance 
gate  are  several  very  old  tombs,  and  the  quaintpess  of  the 
epitaphs  inscribed  thereon,  is  worthy  of  note.  From  a  stone 
veiy  much  mutilated,  I  copied  the  following  : 
"  Ye  Gazers  on  This  Trophie 

Of  a  Tomb.    Bend  out  one  Groan 

For  want  of  Her  Whose  Life 

Once  born  of  Earth  » 

And  now  Lyes  in 

Earths  Wombe 

Lived  Long  a  Virgin 

Then  a  Spotless  Wife 

Here  Lyes  Enclosed 

Mans  Grief  Earths  Loss 

Friends  Pain,  Religions  Lamp 

Virtues  Light,  Heavens  Gain," 
1616. 


Here  is  another : 


'  Dumb  Senseless  Statue 
Of  some  Lyfless  Stone, 
Beared  up  for  Memorie 
Of  a  Blessed  Soul. 
Thou  Holds  but  Adam, 
Adam's  blood  bemones 
Her  Loss.    She's  Fled, 
None  Can  Her  Joys  Control. 
O  Happy  Thou  for  Zeal 
And  Christian  Love. 
On  Earth  Beloved 
And  nowin  Heaven  Above." 
1616. 


256  Rambles  through  the  British  Isles. 

The  Cathedral  is  three  hundred  and  nineteen  feet  in  length, 
and  sixty-three  feet  in  width,  having  a  spire  which  rises  to  an 
altitude  of  two  hundred  and  twenty-five  feet ;  in  it  there  is  a 
bell  which  speaks  for  itself;  upon  its  side  is  the  following  in- 
scription : 

In  the  Year  of  Grace 

1594, 

Marcus  Knox, 

A  merchant  in  Glagow, 

Zealous  for  the  interests  of  the  Eeformed  Eeligion, 

Caused  me  to  be  fabricated  iu^Holland, 

For  the  use  of  his  fellow-citizens  of  Glasgow, 

And  placed  me  with  solemnity 

In  the  tower  of  their  Cathedral. 

My  function 

Was  announced  by  the  impress  on  my  bosom, 

Me  audito  venias  dodrinam  sanctum  tit  discas. 

And 

I  was  taught  to  proclaim  the  hours  of  unheeded  time 

195  years  had  I  sounded  these  awful  warnings. 

When  I  was  broken 

By  the  hands  of  inconsiderate  and  unskillful  men, 

In  the  year  1790. 

I  was  cast  into  the  furnance, 

Eefounded  at  London, 

And  returned  to  my  sacred  vocation. 

Eeader, 

Thou  also  shalt  have  a  resurrection. 

May  it  be  unto  eternal  life. 

TJiomas  Mears,  fecit,  London,  1790. 


Qlmgow  Cathedral.  257 

The  Cathedral,  like  all  similar  buildings,  has  but  a  small 
space  allotted  to  the  celebration  of  worship ;  the  rest  is  for 
show !  Such  superstructures  are  not  erected  for  the  glory  of 
God,  but  of  man  !  History  relates  that  during  the  Reforma- 
tion, when  everything  that  savored  of  Popery  was  obnoxious 
in  the  eyes  of  Protestants,  the  Cathedral  was  saved  from  de- 
struction through  the  efforts  of  the  tradesmen  of  the  city,  who 
threatened  the  Hfe  of  the  first  man  who  would  put  on  it  a 
hand  of  violence. 

In  it,  in  1668,  was  held  the  General  Assembly,  by  which 
Scottish  Episcopacy  was  abolished. 

It  would  not  be  doing  justice  to  the  Cathedral  to  pass  by 
the  windows  in  silence  ;  these  are  of  stained  glass,  and  the 
finest  I  ever  looked  upon.  They  are  the  work  of  Chevalier 
Maximilian  Ainmiller,  architect  and  inspector  of  glass  paint- 
ing at  Munich.  The  subjects  or  characters  on  the  windows 
are  all  Scriptural,  and  arranged  according  to  their  chrono- 
logical order,  commencing  with  the  expulsion  of  Adam  and 
Eve  from  paradise,  and  going  through  the  Old  and  New 
Testaments,  the  last  being  that  of  the  Apostles  and  Evangel- 
ists. On  the  north  side  of  the  Cathedral  is  a  sacred  spot, 
where  lies  the  bodies  of  many  of  the  Covenanters  who  were 
cruelly  put  to  death  in  the  city,  for  conscience'  sake.  Over 
their  dust  is  erected  a  tablet  bearing  the  following  inscription : 
"  These  nine,  with  others  in^this  yard, 

Whose  heads  and  bodies  were  not  spar'd  ; 

Theii'  testimontcs,  foes  to  bury, 

Caus'd  beat  the  drums  then  in  great  fury. 

They'll  know  at  resurrection  day 

To  murder  saints  was  no  sweet  play." 


258  Ramhles  tliroiujh  the  British  Isles. 

Just  back  of  the  Cathedral  is  the  Necropolis,  the  Pere  la 
Chaise  of  Glasgow.  The  way  to  it  is  by  a  narrow  road  lead- 
ing to  a  little  stream  called  "  Molendiuar  Burn,"  which  is 
spanned  by  '•  the  Bridge  of  Sighs."  In  front  of  the  bridge  is 
a  handsome  gate-way,  built  after  the  Italian  style,  and  bear- 
ing the  following  inscription  . 

"  There  shall  bk  a  EESURRECxioisr  of  the  just, 

WHEN   THAT  WHICH    IS    BORN    A   NATURAL   BODY 
SHALL  BE  RAISED  A  SPIRITUAL  BODY,"  etc. 
A.  D.  MDCCCXXXTII. 

The  Necropolis  is  a  high  mound,  or  hill,  the  sides  of  which 
are  filled  up  with  trees,  shrubs,  flowers,  and  elegant  monu- 
ments. 

On  reaching  the  summit  by  a  circuitous  walk,  the  venerable 
Cathedral  and  smokj^  city  lay  at  my  feet;  the  view  from  this 
point  is  one  of  the  best  and  most  pleasing  in  Glasgow.  In- 
deed, I  might  safely  say,  as  far  as  beauty  of  situation,  design 
in  arrangement,  and  variety  and  elegance  of  monuments  are 
concerned,  the  Necropolis  stands  first  in  the  British  Isles  ! 

The  most  conspicuous  monument,  and  the  one  which  never 
fails  to  arrest  the  attention  of  every  visitor,  is  the  column  erect- 
ed to  the  memory  of  John  Knox,  which  crowns  the  eminence. 
Here  also  are  costly  monuments  of  McGavin,  Dr.  Dick, 
Charles  Tennant,  James  Knowles,  Principal  McFarland,  and 
others. 

On  one  monument  I  noticed  a  bust,  which  interested  me 
more  than  all  the  rest ;  not  because  of  its  beauty  of  form  or 
feature,  but  because  of  the  striking  resemblance  it  bore  of 
our  martyred  President,  Abraham  Lincoln  !     I  never  saw  two 


Ghsfjoiv  Cathedral,  259 

faces  more  alike,  and  I  should  have  taken  it  for  granted  that 
here,  in  the  heart  of  this  commercial  capital  of  Scotland,  was 
erected  a  monument  to  hh  memory,  had  I  not  noticed  under 
it  the  name — "  John  Alexander."  The  words,  too,  were  much 
in  keeping  with  the  resemblance.  I  could  not  help  copying 
them :  • 

"  Fallen  is  tho  curtain— the  last  scene  is  o'er. 
The  favorite  actor  treads  life's  stage  no  more ; 
Oft  lavish  plaudits  from  the  crowd  he  drew, 
And  laughing  eyes  confessed  his  humor  true. 
Here  fond  affection  rears  this  sculptured  stone. 
For  virtues  not  enacted,  but  his  own. 
A  constancy  unshaken  unto  death, 
A  truth  unswerving,  and  a  Christian's  faith. 
Oh,  weep  the  man  more  than  the  actor  lost.  » 

Unnumbered  parts  he  played,  yet  to  the  end 
His  best  were  those  of  husband,  father,  friend  I  " 


•  Amusements  to  viitue  aie  like  breezes  ot  an  to  the  llame." 


XXVII. 

Ik  and  Around  Glasgow. 

Sweet  recreation  barred,  wbat  doeth  ensue, 
But  moody  and  dull  melancholy, 
Kinsman  to  grim  and  comfortless  despair ; 
And  at  their  heels,  a  huge  infectious  troop 
Of  pale  distemperatures,  and  foes  to  life. 

Shakespeare. 

ESTERDAY,  when  walking  in  one  of  the 
principal  streets  of  the  city,  my  eye  caught 
a  sight  of  the  old  flag — "  the  Star  Spangled 
Banner " — floating  from  the  balcony  of  a 
hotel.     Yes,  there  it  waved  as  gayly  and  freely 
as  ever  I  saw  it  in  its  own  native  land !     For  a  lit- 
tle time  I  was  bewildered  and  said  to  myself,  "  Can 
this  be  a  dream  ?  am  I  in  America  ?  can  it  be  that  I 
still  in  New  York  city  ?    Is  what  I  see  real,  or  only  a 


In  and  Around  Glasgow.  261 

phantom  ?  Has  the  banner  of  ihefrce  tal«!n  the  place  of  the 
"  Eed,  White  and  Blue  ?  "  While  thus  musing,  I  was  instinc- 
tively, I  might  almost  say,  drawn  toward  the  place,  when,  to 
my  great  satisfaction,  without  asking  a  single  question,  every- 
thing was  clearly  explained  by  a  sight  of  our  brave  naval 
officer.  Admiral  Farragut ! 

Glasgow  Green  is  one  of  the  most  popular  places  of  resort 
in  the  city  ;  it  is  situated  on  the  bank  of  the  Clyde,  and  con- 
tains an  area  of  about  one  hundred  and  forty  acres. 

This  may  well  be  called  the  "  Lung  of  the  City."     To  this 
place,  after  the  day's  work  is  over,  come  thousands  of  black- 
faced  men  from  the  machine  shops  and  factories,  to  breathe 
for  a  time  the  free  air ;  and  to  discuss  the  various  subjects  of 
the  day,  political  and  religious.     Here,  too,  may  be  seen,  by 
night  or  by  day,  "  unfortunate  females,  with  faces  of  triple 
brass,  hiding  hearts  of  unutterable  woe — sleeping  girls,  who 
might  be  mistaken  for  lifeless  bundles  of  rags — down-looking 
scoundrels,  with   felony  stamped  on   every  feature — owlish 
looking  knaves,  minions  of  the  moon,  skulking,  half  ashamed 
of  their  own  appearance  in  the  eye  of  day ;  and,  alas !  poor 
little  tattered  and  hungry  looking  children,  with  precocious 
lines  of  care  upon  their  old-manish  features,  tumbling  about 
the  brown  and  sapless  herbage.     The  veriest  dregs  of  Glasgow 
society,  indeed,  seem  congregated  here.     At  one  place  a  band 
of  juvenile  pickpockets  are  absorbed  in  a  game  of  pitch  and 
toss  ;  at  a  short  distance  a  motley  crew   are  engaged  putting 
the  stone,  or  endeavoring  to  outstrip  each  other  in  a  leaping 
bout,  while  oaths  and  idiot  laughter  mark  the  progress  of 
their  play."'     There  also  is  a  group  standing  round  a  couple 
18 


262  .        Rambles  through  the  British  Isles. 

of  greasy  looking  mechanics,  who  are  debating  the  question 
of  "  the  true  Church  ;"  one  of  them  is  a  genuine  son  of  Erin, 
who,  with  more  noise  than  logic,  is  trying  hard  to  carry  his 
side,  and  the  other  is  a  "  canny  "  Scotchman,  who,  with  well 
weighed  words  is  letting  fall  some  heavy  blows  on  the  Roman 
citadel.  A  little  farther  on  are  assembled  a  large  number  of 
men  and  women,  listening  to  a  female  preacher.  As  I  stood 
on  the  outside  of  the  circle  for  a  few  minutes,  I  heard  her  say, 
"  Yes,  my  hearers,  Samson  glorified  God  when  he  slew  three 
hundred  Philistines  with  the  jaw  bone  of  an  ass  " — then,  as  if 
she  had  made  a  mistake,  or  perhaps  from  fear  of  the  laugh 
from  the  crowd,  she  again  exclaimed :  "  Yes,  my  hearers,  God 
was  glorified  by  Samson,  when  he  slew  three  hundred  of  the 
ungodly  Philistines  with  the  jaw  bone  of  a  lion  !  " 

This  is  the  kind  of  preaching  which  the  inimitable  Gough 
pictures  out  to  perfection  in  his  "  Street  Life  in  London  :  " 
"  Jacob  had  twelve  sons."  "  My  hearers,  Jacob  had  twelve 
sons.  I  tell  you,  my  friends,  Jacob  had  twelve  sons !  And 
they  were  all  boys ! " 

In  company  with  my  friend  Graham,  I  spent  part  of  a  day 
in  visiting  Cathcart  Castle.  This  historic  spot  is  about  a  mile 
and  a  half  southwest  of  the  city,  and  the  road  to  it  is  one 
of  the  pleasantest  walks  around  Glasgow.  I  was  highly  de- 
lighted with  the  beautiful  fields,  and  well-trimmed  hedges,  the 
swelling  hills  and  verdant  meads,  through  which  we  passed, 
on  our  way  thither.  There  is  but  little  picturesqueness  about 
the  Castle  ;  it  is  simply  a  strong  square  tower,  with  no  archi- 
tectural features  worthy  of  note,  only  that  its  walls  are  from 
eight  to  ten  feet  thick,  and  seem  destined  to  stand  for  agog. 


la  and  Avound  Ghugow.  'liV.j 

The  broken  masonry,  both  inside  and  out,  is  draped  with  ever- 
green. 

"  Creeping  where  no  life  is  seen 
A  rare  old  plant  is  the  ivy  green." 

From  its  window  is  a  grand  view  of  the  Vale  of  Cart,  and 
the  surrounding  country.  Time-worn  and  roofless,  it  stands 
as  a  monument  of  the  measures  taken  for  safe-keeping,  in 
ages  past. 

"  All  ruin'il  and  wild  is  this  roofless  abode. 

And  lonely  the  dark  raven's  shelt'ring  tree; 
And  traveli'd  by  few  is  the  grass  cover'd  road, 
"Where  the  hunter  of  deer  and  the  warrior  trode 
To  his  hUl  that  encircles  the  sea." 

The  time  of  its  erection  and  much  of  its  early  history  are 
lost  in  the  darkness  of  the  past.  It  is  said  to  have  long  been 
in  possession  of  one  Allen  de  Cathcart,  a  strong  defender  of 
the  rights  of  the  Scotch.  Having  fallen  into  other  hands,  it 
was  in  1801,  purchased  by  Earl  Cathcart,  father  of  its  preserb 
owner. 

A  short  distance  from  the  old  castle  is  the  "  Court  Knowe," 
where  Queen  Mary  stood  and  witnessed  the  battle  of  Lang- 
syde.  In  the  place  of  the  old  thorn  tree,  which  up  to  the 
close  of  the  last  centui  y  marked  the  spot,  is  erected  a  stone 
slab,  on  which  is  rudely  carved  the  Scottish  crown,  and  under 
it  are  the  letters  M.  R.,  1568. 

Here,  with  my  companion,  I  rested  and  thought  of  the  bat- 
tle and  tho  beautiful  but  hapless  Queen. 


lifilllllllljll 


>  ^ 


'  Like  a  long  wiutery  torc&t,  giovos  of 


XXVIII. 

The  Clyde  and  its  Sienxs. 

And  call  they  this  improvemenfc  ?  -to  have  changed 
My  native  Clyde,  the  once  romatic  shore.— ^?iora. 

Y  first  trip  on  the  Clyde  did  not  make  a 
very  favorable  impression.  Having  spent  the 
dark  hours  of- the  night  in  crossing  the  Irisli 
Channel,  I  entered  the  Clyde  just  as  the 
light  of  morning  came  streaming  up  from  the 
?^  east.  The  air  was  clear,  the  sky  free  from  clouds, 
and  I  anticipated  much  in  my  sail  up  to  Glasgow. 
Perhaps  I  was  not  in  a  fit  mood  for  forming  a  cor- 
rect judgment  of  the  scenery  ;  for  I  carried  in  my  mind's  eye 
our  beautiful  Hudson,  with  its  banks  covered  with  picturesque 
to>vns  and  villas,  costly  mansions  of  merchant  princes,  and 
f  liry  like  cottages,  with  hill  and  vale,  rock  and  crag,  tree  and 
shrub  of  exquisite  loveliness  !    And  yet,  having  heard  so  much 


The  Vli/de  and  its  Sights.  265 

about  the  Clyde,  its  richness  of  scenery,  and  its  water  so  pure, 
so  amber,  so  gentle,  and  so  what  not,  I  expected  to  find  the 
Hudson  take  its  place  as  a  secondary  affair.  But  oh  dear ! 
how  I  w.as  taken  back  !  Instead  of  being  carried  away  with 
its  sights,  as  I  anticipated,  I  was  anything  but  pleased  !  From 
the  entrance,  up  as  far  as  Greenock,  the  Clyde  is  wide,  and  the 
scenery  is  passable  ;  but  from  this  point  up  to  Glasgow  the 
water  of  the  river  was  so  filthy,  and  sent  forth  such  an  un- 
pleasant odor,  that  if  there  were  any  sights  of  interest,  I 
felt  so  uncomfortable,  that  I  did  not  see  them !  This  very 
unhappy  feature  is  caused  by  the  deepening  of  the  river  for 
the  accommodation  of  sea-going  ships.  A  few  years  ago  the 
Clyde  at,  and  for  several  miles  below,  Glasgow,  could  be 
easily  forded  by  boys  with  their  "  breeks  scarce  buckle  aboon 
the  knee,"  now  it  is  not  less  than  from  fifteen  to  twenty  feet 
in  depth  ;  consequently  all  the  filth  from  the  sewers  of  Glas- 
gow empty  into  it,  and  remaining  there  is  kept  in  a  continual 
boil  by  the  wheels  of  the  many  steamships. 

As  far  as  commercial  enterprise  and  brilliancy  of  result  are 
concerned,  this  deepening  of  the  Clyde  is  one  of  the  grand- 
est accomplishments  of  the  day.     And  yet  I  do  not  wonder 
that  the  lover  of  nature's  green  banks,  pure  water,  and  clear 
air,   should  give   expression   to  his  sorrow,  after  lookjng  at 
Glasgow  and  the  Clyde,  in  the  following  lines  : 
"  Is  this  improvement,  where  the  human  breed 
Degenerates  as  the  swarm  and  overflow, 
Till  toil  grows  cheaper  than  the  trodden  weed, 
And  man  competes  with  man,  like  foe  with  foe, 
•  Till  death  that  thins  them  scarce  seems  public  woe  ? 

Improvement  :  Smiles  it  in  the  poor  man's  eyes, 


266  llamolen  ihrougli  the  Lritinh  Inks. 

Or  blooms  it  on  the  clieek  of  labor  1    No  ! 

To  gorge  a  few  with  trade's  precarious  prize, 

We  banish  rui-al  life  and  breathe  unwholesome  skies." 

During  my  second  trip«on  the  Clyde,  I  tried  to  cull  out  a 
few  sights  worthy  of  note,  and  the  first  after  leaving  Glas- 
gow is 

Dumbarton  Eock  and  Castle. 
Down  to  this  point  both  sides  of  the  river  are  built  of  gran- 
ite, which,  to  the  eye,  are  tedious  and  wearisolne.  The  castle 
is  built  upon  a  basaltic  rock,  which  rises  steeply  out  of  the 
water  to  an  altitude  of  two  hundred  and  sixty  feet ;  its  situa- 
tion is  one  of  the  greatest  romantic  wildness,  and  the  accounts 
of  its  past  years  occupy  not  a  little  space  in  Scottish  his- 
tory. 

The  highest  point  over  which  floats  the  "  red  white  and 
blue  "  is  called  "  Wallace's  Seat,"  and  lower  down  is  another 
portion  of  the  castle  called  "  "Wallace's  Tower,"  from  the 
fact  that  here  Wallace  was  confined  for  some  time.  In  the 
days  of  yore  this  was  a  Eoman  stronghold  for  the  Romanized 
Britons,  and  since  then  it  has  served  as  the  royal  fort  of 
Scotland's  kings.  It  is  now  of  but  little  practical  use,  and 
only  noticed  by  the  traveler  and  antiquarian. 

From  the  summit,  the  prospect  is  rarely  exceeded  for  rich- 
ness and  variety.  At  this  point,  the  river  begins  to  lose  its 
contracted  form  ;  on  the  north  are  the  steep  hills  of  Kilpat- 
rick,  near  which,  Saint  Patrick,  the  Irishman,  was  born  !  On 
the  south  are  the  slopes  of  Renfrewshire,  in  the  distance,  and, 
forming  a  grand  background  to  the  picture,  are  the  lijfty 
mountains  of  Argyle. 


The  Clyde  and  its  Sights.  "267 

The  first  and  ouly  stopping  place  between  Belfast,  Ireland, 
and  Glasgow,  is  called 

Greenock. 

In'Hhe  seventeenth  century  this  was  but  a  single  row  of 
thatched  huts,  having  hardly  a  name  among  the  places  on  the 
Clyde  ;  now  it  has  a  population  of  about  forty -three  tTiousand, 
and  is  among  the  first  marine  towns  in  the  kingdom.  It  is 
noted  as  being  the  birthplace  of  James  Watt,  in  whose  honor 
has  been  erected  a  very  handsome  structure  bearing  the  name 
of  "Watt's  Institution,  which  contains  a  public  library,  with  a 
statue  of  the  inventor  by  Chantry.  On  the  pedestal  is  a  sim- 
ple inscription  from  the  pen  of  Lord  Jeffrey  ;  also  the  figure 
of  an  elephant,  Jeffrey's  simile  of  the  steam  engine,  which, 
like  that  animal's  trunk,  "  is  equally  adapted  to  lift  a  pin  or 
rend  an  oak." 

About  half  an  hour's  sail  from  Greenock  and  we  enter  Loch 
Long.  This  is  a  branch  or  inlet  of  the  Firth  of  Clyde,  at 
whose  entrance  are  the  popular  watering  places  of  Rilcreg- 
gan  and  Cove.  Farther  up  the  lough  is  Ardentinry,  cele- 
brated by  Fannahill  in  his  song  "  The  Lass  O'  Arrantee- 
nie."  All  around  are  bold,  rugged,  heath-covered  mountains, 
keeping  -watch,  while  here  and  there,  by  the  aid  of  a  field 
glass,  may  be  seen  a  highland  cottage,  which  "  midst  nature's 
wildest  grandeur  "'  breaks  in  upon  the  native  simplicity  of  the 
scene. 

Conspicuous  among  its  fellows  is  Ben  Arthur,  sometimes 
called  the  "  Cobbler,"  from  its  jagged  summit  having  taken 
somewhat  the  form  of  a  shoemaker  at  work,  and  while  chang- 
ing our  position,  he  seemed  to  have  got  through  with  his  toil. 


268  Rambles  throtigh  the  British  Isles, 

and  now  we  see  the  Cobbler  at  rest.  From  this  point  the  face 
bears  a  striking  resemblance  to  the  old  man  of  White  Moun- 
tain notoriety.  I  shouldn't  wonder  but  they  are  related  in 
some  way,  though  they  know  it  not ! 

One  of  the  pleasantest  and  most  popular  watering  places 
in  the  British  Isles,  is 

Dunoon. 

This  indeed,  is  the  Netoport  of  Scotland ;  and  here,  during 
the  summer  months,  may  be  seen  visitors  from  the  chief  cities 
of  the  United  Kingdom. 

It  is  four  miles  in  length,  and  made  up  of  one  row  of 
houses,  which  stretch  all  along  the  beautiful  bay.  In  general 
the  buildings  are  neat  and  attractive,  with  here  and  there 
one  of  more  than  ordinary  ornamentation.  Overlooking  the 
landing  is  an  old  castle,  once  the  home  and  stronghold  of 
royalty,  now  dilapidated,  friendless,  and  forsaken,  only  visited 
by  the  stranger  and  sight-seer. 

To  the  south  of  Dunoon,  is  a  romantic  little  bay  called 

EOTHESAY. 

At  the  head  of  the  bay  is  the  town,  a  most  delightful  sum- 
mer resort,  in  the  centre  of  which  are  the  ruins  of  the  old 
Eothesay  Castle,  where  once  resided  in  great  splendor,  the 
kings  of  Scotland.  Its  ruins  are  all  heavily  draped  with  ivy, 
which  not  only  adds  much  to  its  picturesqueuess,  but,  shielding 
it  from  the  summer's  heat  and  winter's  cold,  bids  defiance  to 
the  mouldering  hand  of  time. 

To  the  west  of  the  island  of  Bute,  is  a  narrow  circuitous 
belt  of  the  sea,  forming  a  passage  from  the  mouth  of  the 
Clyde  to  the  mouth  of  Loch  Fyn,  called  the 


The  Clyde  and  its  Sif/hts.  269 

KiLES  OF  Bute. 

All  the  shores  of  this  strait  are  beautiful,  and  present  a  suc- 
cession of  landscape  scenery  but  rarely  surpassed. 

For  some  time  I  was  at  a  loss  to  know  what  "  Kiles  "  meant, 
so  I  went  from  one  to  another  until  I  had  spoken  to  over  a 
dozen  persons,  but  without  success ;  finally  I  came  to  a  rough 
looking  old  Scotchman,  and  putting  my  hand  upon  his  shoul- 
der, I  said  to  him,  "  Friend  can  you  till  me  what  is  meant  by 
'  Kiles  ?  '  Here  is  the  isle  of  Bute,  but  where,  or  Avhat  is  the 
thing,  or  things  you  call  '  Kiles  ?' "  "  Well,  mon,  I  can  tell 
you  ;  do  you  ken  what  the  kiles  of  a  rope  are  r*  "  I  answered, 
"Yes,  I  know  whafrthe  coils  of  a  rope  are."  "  Then,  mon,  you 
have  it !  "  This  was  quite  clear,  Tciles  is  the  Scotch  word  for 
coil,  and  this  narrow  neck  of  water  has  so  many  windings  in 
it,  as  to  make  "  Eliles  of  Bute  "  a  name  very  appropriate. 


:^^^^ 


XXIX. 

A  Sabbath  in  Glasgow. 

The  halt  of  toil's  exhausted  caravan 

Comes  sweet  with  music  to  thy  wearied  ear: 

Else,  with  its  anthems,  to  a  holier  sphere  I —fib/niM. 

HE  day  was  delightful,  and  the  melody  of 
the  inorniug  bells  fell  with  peculiar  welcome 
on  my  ears.  Having  heard  much  from  Cap- 
O-^r^  tain  Craig  about  one  of  the  ministers  of 
Glasgow,  who,  because  of  his  earnestness  and  ec- 
centricity, is  called  "  Daft "  WoUcy  Anderson, 
I  resolved,  if  possible'  to  hear  him.  Saturday  even- 
ing having  come,  I  noticed  an  announcement  in  the 
paper  which  stated  that  he  would  preach  on  the  morrow  ;  so 
in  good  season  on  Sunday  morning  I  found  myself  in  John 
street  United  Presbyterian  Church,  which  was  well  filled. 
When  it  was  time  to  begin  the  service,  a  tall  man,  with  gown 
and  bands,  came  out  from  one  of  the  side  doors,  leading  into 
the  studio,  or  sanctum,  and  entered  the  pulpit,  a  much  younger 
man  than  I  expected  to  see.  During  the  reading  of  the 
hymn,  lesson,  and  the  offering  up  of  the  prayer,  I  was  not 
struck  with  anything  very  peculiar,  which  caused  me  to  en- 
tertain some  fears  that  he  was  not  the  man  I  wanted  to  hear, 
and  not  without  some  reason,  for  before  the  sermon,  he  stated 


A  iSabbath  in  Gla>iyow.  liT  I 

that  Mr.  Anderson  had  a  son  dangerously  ill,  and  couso- 
queutly  could  not  fill  his  e^agement. 

You  can  better  imagine  my  feelings  than  I  can  describe 
them.  There  I  was,  part  of  the  service  over,  and  to  go  and 
look  up  some  other  celebrity  at  that  late  hour  would  have 
been  of  little  use,  so  I  determined  to  remain  and  hear  a  ser- 
mon from  Mr.  Anderson's  assistant,  Eev.  Mr.  McEwcn.  He 
took  as  his  text  a  portion  of  Scripture  from  second  Samuel, 
23d  chap.,  1-5  v.  After  giving  a  brief  sketch  of  David's  life,  he 
called  the  attention  of  his  hearers  to  two  heads,  first  the  fjov- 
eming  principle  of  David's  life,  and  secondly,  the  testimony  he 
gate  of  Christ. 

There  were  some  things  quite  peculiar  about  the  service, 
which  pleased  me.  After  the  minister  announced  and  read 
the  psalm,  the  presenter,  or  leader,  stood  up  in  front  of  the 
congregation,  just  a  little  to  the  right  of  the  pulpit,  and  led 
off,  when  all  the  people,  men,  women  and  children,  joined  in 
the  singing  with  heart,  and  soul,  and  voice.  Then  came  the 
prayer,  which  was  scriptural  and  sj)iritual.  After  the  ptayer, 
the  portion  of  Scripture  to  be  read  was  announced,  and,  oh, 
dear  !  what  a  fluttering  of  leaves  all  over  the  house ;  almost 
every  person  in  the  congregation,  both  young  and  old,  opened 
their  Bibles,  and,  having  found  the  place  designated,  followed 
the  minister  as  he  read  from  the  beginning  to  the  close.  This 
was  the  case  also  when  the  text  was  announced,  and  whenever 
any  reference  was  made  in  the  sermon  to  any  portion  of  the 
Old  or  Xew  Testament.  I  was  told  that  this  is  a  custom 
which  prevails  throughout  Scotland,  and  also  in  some  parts 
of  England. 


272  Humbles  through  the  British  Isles. 

In  the  afternoon  I  had  the  good  fortune  to  hear  Eev.  Nor- 
man Macleod,  whose  name  is  a^ost  as  well  known  in  the 
New  as  the  Old  World.  Having  secured  a  good  seat  in  the 
roomy,  old-fashioned,  uncomfortably-seated  edifice,  which 
was  fast  filling  up,  I  waited  with  patience  to  see  him  of 
whom  I  had  often  heard,  and  in  the  reading  of  whose  pen- 
talks  I  was  so  often  profited  and  pleased.  When  the  time  ar- 
rived for  the  service  to  commence,  in  came  a  ministerial  look- 
ing personage,  bearing  a  Bible  and  hymn-book,  which  he 
placed  in  order  on  the  pulpit  cushion,  then  coming  down 
again,  waited  at  the  foot  of  the  pulpit  steps  until  the  minister 
came  in,  when  he  followed  him  up  and  closed  the  door  after 
him. 

The  Doctor  had  on  a  black  gown  and  bands.  At  first  I  con- 
fess I  was  a  little  disappointed  ;  his  appearance  seemed  to  lack 
in  ministerial  dignity,  and  the  reading  of  the  first  hymn  did  not 
take  away  from  this  impression.  Then  followed  the  Scripture 
lesson,  which  was  well  read,  calling  forth  the  deepest  atten- 
tion from  the  crowded  congregation.  Leaning  over  the  Bible 
he  led  in  prayer,  during  which  all  my  gathering  clouds  of  pre- 
judice passed  away  like  mist  before  the  morning  sun.  His  ap- 
proach to  God  was  so  much  like  that  of  a  beloved  child  to  a 
loving  father,  that  I  could  not  help  saying  to  myself,  "  How 
he  talks  with  God!  "  Such  humility  in  approaching,  such 
confidence  in  asking,  such  faith  in  taking  hold,  could  only  he 
manifested  by  one  who  daily  walks  with  God. 

Dr.  Macleod  is  of  medium  height,  quite  corpulent,  with  a 
well-developed  head,  over  which  hangs  well-arranged  locks  of 
silver  gray.     He   has  a  round  face,  and  wears  a  full  beard. 


A  Sabbath  in  Glasgow.  *073 

His  voice  is  rather  husky  at  first,  but  clears  \i\y  as  ho  enters 
into  his  subject.  He  used  no  manuscript  or  notes,  but  acqiiit- 
tecl  himself  like  a  icell  man,  who  needed  not  a  staff  or  crutch  to 
lean  upon.  His  manner  was  pleasing  and  his  gestures  in 
keeping  with  his  words.  His  illustrations  were  numerous,  but 
well  chosen  and  practical,  with  point  and  edge,  carrying  home 
the  truth.  His  style  is  colloquial ;  he  talks  to  his  hearers  in- 
stead of  preaching  over  them.  He  is  a  live  man  in  the  right 
place  !  In  the  evening  I  heard  a  sermon  from  a  "Wesleyan 
minister,  with  which  I  was  anything  but  pleased.  The  church 
was  good,  the  internal  and  external  arrangements  neat  and 
attractive,  the  congregation  and  the  singing  passable,  but  the 
sermon  was  very  ordinary.  I  confess  I  was  much  surprised  to 
find  a  man  who  could  preach  so  poor  a  sermon,  pastor  of 
such  an  intelligent  looking  congregation.  But  perhaps  it 
was  not  all  in  the  preacher  ;  it  may  in  part,  if  not  in  whole, 
have  been  in  myself.  Doubtless,  hearing  Dr.  Macleod  in  the 
afternoon  unfitted  me  for  hearing  an  ordinary  sermon  in  the 
evening. 


XXX. 

Paisley. 

There  are  no  more  useful  members  in  the  common-wealth  than  merchants. 
They  knit  mankind  together.— Addison. 


Aloit  seven  miles  from 
Gl  isgow,  on  the  Eiver  Cart, 
ind  ibout  three  miles  from 
its  junction  with  the  Clyde, 
situ  ited  the  great  shawl 
emporium  of  the  world — 
Pciislpy '  Where  is  the  woman 
who  has  not  heard  of  Paisley ! 
A  few  years  ago  it  could*hardly  be  called  a  village,  now  it  has  a 
population  of  over  forty-nine  thousand.  Its  rapid  growth  of 
late  years  is  owing  in  a  great  degree  to  the  colonies  sent  out 
from  overgrown  Glasgow.  In  the  twelfth  century  Walter' 
Stewart  founded  a  monastery  here,  when  not  a  single  house 
was  in  sight  ;  soon,  however,  house  after  lionsc  went  up  until 


---gn 


Paisley.  275 

it  grew  into  a  village,  whose  principal  moans  of  support  was 
that  of  waiting  upon  the  holy  pilgrims. 

Not  until  after  the  union  of  England  and  Scotland  did  Pais- 
ley begin  to  show  any  real  signs  of  life  and  enterprise.  For 
many  years  she  was  not  known  among  the  manufacturing 
cities  of  the  Old  World  ;  now  she  takes  her  place  among  the 
first.  'Her  most  important  branch  of  the  manufacturing 
business  is  that  of  shawls.  She  also  sends  into  the  market 
silk,  cotton,  wollen  and  mixed  fabrics,  which  are  said  to  be 
equal  in  texture  and  much  superior  in  beauty  and  durability 
to  any  in  Europe.  Her  muslins,  plaids,  chenille  handkerchiefs 
and  Persian  velvets,  take  the  first  place  in  the  world's  fairs. 

Like  most  important  manufacturing  cities.  Paisley  has 
but  little  to  attract  the  eye  of  the  traveler.  Most  of  the 
houses  are  lacking  in  arrangement  and  architectural  design, 
and  the  few  that  might  be  called  respectable  have  become  so 
begrimmed  with  smoke  that  they  look  as  if  clad  in  the  habili- 
ments of  mourning  !     , 

Indeed,  there  are  but  two  sights  in  Paisley  which  will  pay 
the  traveler  for  the  trouble  of  going  there  ;  one  is  the  nave 
of  the  old  Abbey  Church,  which  was  built  in  the  year  1160, 
and  dedicated  to  St.  James.  The  other,  the  cemetery,  in  which 
sleeps  the  dust  of  luany  who  gave  up  their  lives  for  the  truth's 
sake. 

The  abbey  still  bears  marks  of  its  former  grandeur.  It 
must  have  been  built  on  a  grand  scale,  measuring,  as  it  does, 
not  less  than  two  hundred  and  seventy  feet  in  length.  The 
chancel,  now  used  for  a  parish  church,  remains  almost  as  per- 
fect as  when  it  came  from  the  hands  of  the  workmen. 


276  Ramhles  through  the  British  Isles. 

Like  most  other  buildings  of  this  sort,  the  abbey  suffered  by- 
despoiling  during  the  Eeformatiou.  Yet  though  shorn  of  its 
former  splendor,  it  still  retains  marks  of  dignity  and  beauty. 
On  the  south  side  is  a  small  but  lofty  chapel,  in  which  almost 
the  faintest  whisper  is  returned,  as  if  some  unknown  spirit 
mocked  you.  In  the  centre  aisle  is  an  altar  tomb,  surmounted 
by  a  recumbent  female  figure,  with  hands  folded  as  if  engaged 
in  prayer.     This,  by  some,  is  supposed  to  represent  Margery, 

daughter  of  Robert  Bruce,  and  mother    of  the    royal  Stuarts. 
What  lessons  of  wisdom  may  be  learned  from  these  costly 

mementoes  of  departed  ones  ;  beauty,  fame,  fortune,  name,  all 

gone  !  not  a  trace  left,  a  tale  to  tell ! 
After  bidding  the  old  abbey  adieu,  I  started  for  the  cemetery, 

which  some  think  more  worthy  of  a  visit  than  even  the  abbey. 

On  my  way  thither  I  was  shown  the  house  where,  on  the  6th 

of  July,  1776,  Alexander  Wilson  was  born.     The  building  is 

small  and  unattractive.     I  should  have  passed  it  by,  had  not 

my  attention  been  called  to  the  following  inscription  on  a 

stone  in  the  wall : 
"This  tablet  was  erected  in  1841,  by  David  Anderson,  Perth,  to  mark  the 

birth-place  of  Alexander  Wilson,  Paisley  poet  and  American  ornithologist." 

Passing  on  toward  the  west,  I  left  the  city  of  the  living  for 
that  of  the  dead. 

Beautiful  for  situation  is  the  Cemetery  of  Paisley.  It  covers 
a  neighboring  hill,  and  has  an  area  of  about  fifty  a,cres.  Its 
walks,  hedges  and  flowers  are  arranged  with  much  taste,  and  . 
were  it  not  for  the  monuments  and  grave  stones,  which  rise  on 
every  hand,  one  might  take  it  to  be  a  princely  garden  or 
pleasure  ground. 


Faisleij.  277 

Among  the  many  monuments,  tombs  and  headstones  worthy 
of  notice,  is  an  obelisk  erected  in  memory  of  two,  who,  iu  the 
days  of  Charles  Second,  yielded  their  lives  rather  than  break 
their  solemn  league  and  covenant.  On  one  side  of  it  are 
these  words: 

"Here  lie  the  corpses  of  James  Algie  and  John  Park,  who 
suffered  at  the  Cross  of  Paisley  for  refusing  the  Oath  of  Ab- 
juration, Feb.  3,  17G8. 

"  stay,  passenger,  as  thou  goest  by. 

And  take  a  look  where  these  do  lie, 

Who,  for  the  love  they  bore  to  truth, 

"Were  deprived  of  their  life  and  youth. 

Though  laws  made  then  caused  many  die, 

Judges  and  'sizei-s  were  not  free ; 

He  that  to  them  did  these  delate 

The  greater  'count  he  hath  to  make ; 

Yet  no  excuse  to  them  can  be, 

At  ten  condemned,  at  two  to  die. 

So  cruel  did  their  raije  become, 

To  stop  their  speech  caused  beat  the  drum : 

This  may  a  standing  witness  bo 

'Twixt  Presbytrie  and  Prelacy." 

On  the  west  side  is  a  beautiful  selection  from  Cowper  : 
"  Their  blood  was  shed 
In  confirmation  of  the  noblest  claim— 
Our  claim  to  feed  upon  immortal  truth. 
To  walk  with  God,  to  be  divinely  free. 
To  soar  and  to  anticipate  the  sky  ; 
Tctfc-w  remember  them— they  lived  unknown 
Till  persecution  dragged  them  into  fame. 
And  chased  them  up  to  heaven." 


19 


The  Poet's  Curse. 


XXXI. 

The  Land  op  Buests. 

Ayr,  gurg-ling,  kiss'd  his  pebbled  shore, 

O'erhung  with  wild  woods,  thlek'nlng  green.— Burns. 

Ji^f^  FTEE.  a  two  hours'  ride  by  rail  from  the  city 


\^    of  Glasgow,  I  reached  the  little  town  of  Ayr. 
Vfl    This  place  would  be  without  much  interest 


^°^  were  it  not  for  the  life  and  writings  of  Robert 
l'Jf4/f'^'  Burns.  It  is  situated  on  the  sea-coast,  at  the 
^■^  mouth  of  the  Eiver  Ayr,  and  is  said  to  contain 
i^(]  ^fv^R  about  eighteen  thousand  inhabitants.  The  priuci- 
^A^^^-^  pal  departments  of  industry  carried  on  are  ship- 
building, shoemaking,  woolen  manufacture,  and  carpet- weav- 
ing.    They  have  thirteen  places  of  worship,  a  large  public 


Tlw  Land  of  Burns.  279 

academy,  a  mechanic's  institute,  a  public  library,  a  theater,  a 
race-course,  and  four  hotels.  The  river  divides  it  into  two 
almost  equal  parts.  One  half  is  called  Ayr,  and  the  other 
Newton-upon-Ayr,  Wallacetown,  and  Content.  The  bridges 
which  span  the  river  are  termed  respectively  the  "  Auld  and 
New  Brigs,"  and  called  out  from  Burns  one  of  his  most  vigor- 
ous poems,  the  "  Twa  Brigs."  The  "  Auld  Brig  "  is  said  to 
have  been  built  in  the  reign  of  Alexander  III.,  and  beais  on 
its  brow  the  mark  of  years.  The  "  New  Brig "  is  a  geod 
structure,  with  five  arches,  handsomely  ornamented.  It  was 
built  by  one  Ballantyne,  to  whom  Burns  dedicated  his  "  Brig  " 
dialogue.  As  I  leaned  on  the  New  and  gazed  at  the  Old,  I 
thought  of  his  description  : 

"  AuUl  Brig  appeared  of  ancient  Tictisli  race, 

The  vera  wrinkles  Gothic  in  his  face  : 

He  seemed  as  ho  wi'  Time  had  warsl'd  lang, 

Yet  toughly  doure,  he  bade  an  unco'  bang. 

New  Brig  was  busJiit  in  a  braw  new  coat, 

That  he,  at  Lon'  on,  frae  ane  Adarns  got ; 

In  's  hand  five  taper  staves  as  smooth  's  a  bead, 

Wi'  virls  and  whirly-gigums  at  the  bead." 

There,  too,  is  the  Wallace  tower,  occupying  the  site  of  an 
old  edifice,  in  which  Wallace  is  said  to  have  been  confined. 
It  is  a  tall,  square  steeple,  and  in  it  is  placed  the  "  Dungeon 
Clock,"  to  which  Burns  thus  alludes  : 

"  The  drowsy  Dungeon  Clock  had  numbered  two. 
And  Wallace  tower  had  sworn  the  fact  was  true." 

Situated  on  the  side' of  the  town,  fronting  the  sea,  is  the  old 
church  of  Ayr,  remarkable  in  history  as  the  place  where  Robert 
Bruce's  Parliament  decreed  the  succession  of  the  crown  to 


280  Ramhks  through  the  British  Isles. 

Lis  brother  Edward.  Crouiwell,  who  had  more  faith  in  pow- 
der and  shot  than  in  moral  sausion,  converted  the  church  into 
an  armory  and  guard-room,  and  erected  around  it  an  exten- 
sive fort  to  hold  in  subjection  Ayrshire  and  its  surroundings. 

Having  seen  everything  in  the  town  worthy  of  notice,  I 
started  out  on  a  pedestrian  tour,  for  the  home  of  the  poet  and 
"  Auld  Alloway  Kirk,"  which  is  two  or  three  miles  ^distant. 
Soon  I  came  to  a  place  where  two  roads  met,  an«l  was  at  a 
loas  which  one  to  take.  While  in  this  dilemma  I  saw  a  man 
approaching.  I  waited  until  he  came  up  and  then  said, 
"Friend,  which  way  to  Alloway  Kirk?"  He  answered,  "I 
am  going  past  it,  and  will  show  you."  So  on  we  journeyed 
together.  As  we  approached  the  place  we  came  upon  vari- 
ous localities  mentioned  in  "Tarn  O'Shanter's"  route,  and 
with  which  my  companion  was  quite  familiar.  "  There," 
said  he,  pointing  to  a  place  about  a  hundred  yards  off,  "is 
"  '  The  ford 
"Whare  in  the  snaw  the  chapman  smood.' 
Still  further  on  we  came  to  a  little  cottage  on  the  way -side, 
now  occupied  by  the  Eosell,  game-keeper,  behind  which  may 
be  seen  the 

"  Birks  and  meikle  stane 
WLare  drunken  Charlie  brak's  neck-bane, 
And  thro'  the  -whins,  and  by  the  cairn, 
"Whare  hunter's  fand  the  murdered  bairn. 
And  near  the  thorn,  aboon  the  well, 
■Whare  Mungo's  mither  hanged  hersel." 

How  true  to  nature  are  all  of  Burns'  descriptions  ;  and  to 
visit  the  places  described  is  to  bring  much  of  his  poetry  to  re- 
membrance.    My  companion, .  pointing  a  little  way  ahead. 


Th'  Land  of  Jinnis.  l>81 

said  :  "  That  bouse  we  are  approacliing  is  where  the  poet  was 
born."  Ami  am  I  already  two  miles  from  Ayr  ?  Is  it  possi- 
ble !  I  exclaimed.  I  could  hardly  realize  it.  The  stranger 
was  so  companionable,  and  the  way  so  charming,  that  I  did 
not  think  of  the  passing  time  or  journey. 

This  humble  cot  is  situated  on  the  west  side  of  the  road 
leading  to  AUoway.  The  barn,  stable,  and  cottage  are  all  under 
one  continued  roof  of  straw.  The  house  at  first  had  but  two 
apartments — kitchen  and  sitting-room — and  was  built  by  the 
father  of  the  poet,  who  held  in  connection  with  it,  a  seven- 
acre  farm  on  perpetual  lease.  Having  satisfied  my  curiosity 
in  looking  at  the  exterior,  in  company  with  my  friend,  I  ven- 
tured into  the  cabin,  and  received  a  hearty  welcome.  The 
kitchen  is  said  to  have  met  with  with  but  little  alteration,  if 
any,  since"  the  day  on  which  Scotia's  greatest  poet  first  saw 
the  light. 

The  floor  is  composed  of  rough  stone,  not  very  evenly  laid. 
An  old-fashioned  grate,  a  dresser  adorned  with  antiquated 
dishes,  a  recess  holding  a  bed — but  not  this  one  on  which  the 
poet  was  born — go  to  make  up  the  outfit  of  the  kitchen.  The 
sitting-room  is  now  occupied  as  an  ale  and  curiosity  shop, 
where  all  manner  of  curious  little  things,  made  from  the  tim- 
ber of  "  Auld  AUoway  Kirk,"  and  from  wood  grown  on  the 
banks  of  the  Doon,  may  be  had,  not  without  money,  but  for 
a  good  price.  In  sight  of  the  natal  cottage  stands  the  Mount 
Oliphant  farm  and  house ;  to  which  place  the  poet's  father 
removed  soon  after  the  birth  of  his  son,  and  where  was  laid 
the  scene  of  the  "  Cotter's  Saturday  Night,"  Burns'  best 
poem.     And  there,  too,  upon  the  eve  of  his  intended  visit  to 


282  Ranibhs  through  the  British  Isles. 

India,  lie  wrote  this  beautiful,  touching  prayer,  in  behalf  of 
his  Highland  Mary  : 

"  Powers  celestial,  whose  protection 

Ever  guards  the  virtuous  fair, 
While  in  distant  climes  I  wander, 

Let  my  Mary  be  your  care  ; 
Liet  her  form  sae  fair  and  faultless — 

Fair  and  faultless  as  your  own- 
Let  my  Mary's  kindred  spirit 

Draw  your  choicest  influence  down. 

"  Make  the  gales  you  waft  around  her 

Soft  and  peaceful  as  her  breast , 
Breathing  in  the  breeze  that'fans  her. 

Soothe  her  bosom  into  rest : 
Guardian  angels,  O  protect  her, 

WTien  in  distant  lands  I  roam  ! 
To  realms  unknown  while  fate  exiles  me, 

Make  her  bosom  still  my  home." 

Leaving  the  early  home  of  Burns,  I  proceeded  onward  amid 
leafy  hedge-rows,  dappled  with  flakes  of  bloom,  which  filled 
the  air  with  sw.eetest  perfume.  Now  we  pass  a  comfortable 
farmstead  with  daisied  pasture-fields  and  picturesque  groups 
of  kine.  Thus  6ne  pleasing  sight  after  another  came  up  be- 
fore my  enraptured  vision,  when  my  friend  told  m.e 
"^      "  Kirk  AUoway  was  drawing  nigh, 

Where  ghosts  and  houlets  nightly  cry." 

We  are  in  sight  of  the  "  Auld  Haunted  Kirk."  It  is  quite 
small  and  roofless.  The  old  bell  still  hangs  in  its  place.  The 
wood- work  of  the  building  has  all  been  carried  off"  to  make 
snuff  boxes  and  other  memorials,  but  the  walls  are  in  remark- 
able good  repair.     Near  the  entrance  is  the  grave-stone  of 


The  Laud  of  liurns.  283 

♦'  'William  Burns,  farmer  of  Lochlea,"'  the  father  of  the  poet. 
This  is  comparatively  a  new  stone,'  the  original  one  being  de- 
molished and  carried  away  in  fragments  by  visitors.  While 
looking  through  the  iron  grating  of  the  gate,  which  serves 
the  place  of  a  door  to  the  auld  kirk,  my  guide  said,  "  This  is 
where  poor  Tam  saw 

'  Auld  Nick  in  shape  o'  beast, 
A  towzie  tyke,  black,  grim,  and  large  ; 
To  gie  them  music  was  his  charge; 
He  screwed  the  pipes  and  gart  them  skirl, 
Till  roof  and  raftei-s  a'  did  dirl ; 
Coffins  stood  round  like  open  presses, 
That  show'd  the  dead  in  their  last  dresses, 
And  by  some  devilish  cantrip  sleight, 
Each  in  its  cauld  hand  held  a  light.' " 

Having  wandered  among  the  grave-stones  until  I  was 
satisfied,  I  passed  on  to  the  beautiful  garden  on  the  bank  of 
the  Elver  Doon,  in  Avhich  is  erected  a  costly  monument  in 
memory  of  Burns.  The  monument  is  an  open  temple  on  a 
high  base  of  granite,  having  nine  pillars  to  represent  the  nine 
muses,  and  surmounted  by  a  handsome  dome.  In  the  base  is 
a  room  Avhere  may  be  seen  many  articles  of  interests,  among 
which  are  various  editions  of  the  poet's  works,  a  copy  of  an 
original  portrait  of  Burns  by  Nasmyth,  a  snuff-box  made  of 
Avood  from  the  timber  of  Alloway  Kirk,  etc.  What  pleased 
me  more  than  all  the  rest  was  the  Bible  given  by  Burns  to 
his  Highland  Mary.  It  was  on  the  scene  of  his  final  parting 
with  her — intending  to  sail  for  Jamaica — when, '«  standing 
one  on  each  side  of  a  small  brook,  they  laved  their  hands  in 
the  stream,  and  holding  a  Bible  between  them,  pronounced  a 


284  Rambles  throtigh  the  British  Isles. 

vow  of  eternal  constancy."  This  interesting  relic  having 
been  carried  to  Canada  by  its  possessor,  was  purchased  by  a 
number  of  gentlemen  in  Montreal  for  the  sum  of  twenty-five 
pounds  sterling,  and  forwarded  to  the  Provost  of  Ayr,  to  be 
placed  in  the  cabinet  of  the  Burns  monument.  Here,  too,  are 
Bhown  the  far-famed  statues  of  Tam   O'Shanter  and  Souter 

Johnny, 

"  His  ancient,  trusty,  drouthy  crony. 
Tam  lo'ed  him  like  a  vera  brither, 
They  had  been  fou  tor  weeks  thegither, 
The  night  drave  on  wi'  sangs  and  clatter, 
And  ay  the  ale  was  growing  better ; 
The  landlady  and  Tam  grew  gracious 
Wi'  favors  secret,  sweet,  and  precious  ; 
The  Souter  tauld  his  queerest  stories, 
The  landlord's  laugh  was  ready  chorus  ; 
The  storm  without  might  rair  and  rustle, 
Tam  didna  mind  the  storm  a  whistle." 
Coming  out  of  the  garden,  which  is  kept  in  perfect  trim, 
and  where  I  would  willingly  have  spent  many  hours,  I  walked 
down  the  hill  to  "  Auld  Brig  o'  Doon,"  the  keystone  of  which 
was  Tarn's  salvation.     I  could  almost  imagine  I  saw  the  poor 
fellow  as  he  left  "  Kirk  Alloway,"  pursued  by  an  innumerable 
multitude  of  witches,  spurring  on  "  Meg,"  the  good  mare  he 
rode,  and  hear  him  say, 

"  Kow  do  thy  speedy  utmost,  Meg. 
And  win  the  keystane  o'  the  brig  ; 
There  at  them  thou  thy  tail  may  toss, 
A  running  stream  they  darena  cross  ! " 
The  scenery  from  the  bridge  is  charming,  and  I  do  not  won- 
der  that  Burns,  such  an   ardent   admirer  of    the  beautiful, 
should  write  as  he  did.     The  Doon  is  indeed  a  beautiful  stream, 


The  Land  of  Burns.  285 

"witli  its  gentle  currenj  leaping  joyfully  from  stone  to  stone, 
and  its  "  banks  and  braes  "  covered  with  trees  and  flowering 
shrubs.  Here  wandered  Scotia's  bard,  drinking  inspiration, 
from  the  scene. 

"  Oft  hae   I  roved  by  bonnie  Doon 

To  see  the  rose  and  woodbine  twine  ; 
And  ilka  bird  sang  o'  its  luve, 
And  fondly  sae  did  I  o'  mine ; 
Wi'  lithsome  heart  I  pu'd  a  rose, 
Fu'  sweet  upon  its  thorny  tree. 
And  my  fanse  lover  stole  my  rose. 
But  ah  !  he  left  the  thorn  wi'  me." 

Robert  Burns  was  a  remarkable  man — brilliant,  pathetic, 
unrivaled  !  His  poetry  is  but  the  outgushing  of  a  heart 
more  tender  and  susceptible  than  that  of  woman's.  His  life 
one  continued  struggle  with  caste  and  pov^ty ;  its  errors  but 
the  natural  result  of  his  early  training.  I  admire  his  genius, 
his  warm-heartedness,  aud  generous  impulses,  yet  not  forget- 
ful of  his  many  faults.  But  when  I  remember  Scotland's  so- 
cial drinking  customs,  which  perverted  his  thoughts,  debased 
his  life,  and  cut  him  off  at  the  early  age  of  thirty- seven,  I  pity 
the  man,  and  offer  up  a  prayer  for  the  speedy  destruction  of 
that  which  has  put  out  so  many  bright  hopes,  and  shut  up  in 
eternal  darkness  thousands  who  might  have  rejoiced  in  the 
light  forever. 


r"     ■'111^^^^^^^^ 


Wh: 


I 


lifriF 


°  =) 


XXXII. 

Edikbukgh. 

Here  architecture's  noble  pride 

Bids  elegance  and  splendor  rise.— Burns. 

A^y'^AVING  heard  much  of  the  unrivaled  beauty 
it  I  should  be  disappointed  ;  but  in- 


"^['"^i    stead  of  this  being  the  case.  I  am  now  ready 


^   to  say,  the  half  was  not  told  me.     On  my  arrival 
(f  {  ■  ,--    in  the  city,  I  took  the  advice  of  one  who  has  seen 

11% 'A',  iiot  a  little  of  the  world,  and  by  experience  has 
a)  learned  the  art  of  sight  seeing—"  1^  would  be  wise," 
says  she,  "  in  travelers  to  make  it  their  first  business  in  a  for- 
*  eign  city  to  climb  the  loftiest  point  they  can  reach,  so  as  to 
have  the  scene  they  are  to  explore  laid  out  as  in  a  living  mass 
beneath  them.  It  is  scarcely  credible  how  much  time  is  saved, 
and  confusion  of  ideas  obviated  by  this  means."  After  learn  - 
ing  that  the  castle  was  the  highest  jjoint  in  the  city,  and  hav- 
ing secured  a  room  in  a  good  temperance  hotel,  I  started  out, 
with  guide  book  in  hand,  to  see  the  Queen  of  the  British  Isles. 
Crossing  over  the  deep  ravine  which  divides  the  old  city  from 
the  new,  and  after  spending  considerable  time  and  strength 
in  climbing,  I  found  myself  on  the  very  summit  of  this  once 
strong  fortification.    Here,  elevated  three  hundred  and  eighty- 


288  Ramhles  through  the  British  Isles. 

three    feet   above  tlie   level  of  the  sea,  is   a  point  admirably 
fitted  to  gratify  the  taste  of  the  most  fastidious  spectator. 

"  Saint  Margaret !  what  a  sight  is  here ! 
Long  miles  of  masonry  appear ; 
Scott's  Gothic  pinnacles  arise 
And  Melville's  statue  greets  the  skies." 

Eight  well  was  I  paid  for  my  time  and  toil  spent  in  work- 
ing  my  passage  up  to  this  lofty  rampart.  The  view  which 
spread  itself  out  before  me  was  novel,  romantic,  beautiful. 
At  my  feet  lay  the  "  Modern  Athens,"  with  its  gigantic  build- 
ings, wide  and  narrow  streets,  squares  and  gardens,  monu- 
ments and  towers,  all  scattered  around  in  seeming  wild  confu- 
sion. Eunnmg  between  ancient  and  modern  Edinburgh  is 
a  deep  ravine,  once  a  hiding-place  for  the  burglar  and  bandit, 
now  the  highway  of  commerce  and  travel.  On  the  north 
there  is  a  gentle  declivity  leading  to  the  village  or  port  of 
Leith,  with  its  bj:oad  estuary  laughing  in  the  sunlight ;  while 
all  around  are  noble  residences,  with  handsome  lawns.  On 
the  east  is  Arthur's  seat,  kingly  and  majestic;  Salisbury  Crags,' 
bold  and  rugged;  and  Calton  Hill,  covered  with  monumental 
glory. 

The  old  town  presents  a  jumbled  and  confused  appearance, 
which  contrasted  with  the  elegance  and  regularity  of  the  new, 
forms  a  picture  of  unusual  beauty.  Indeed,  it  would  be  im- 
possible for  any  one,  at  all  susceptible  of  the  beautiful  in  na- 
ture or  art,  to  stand  here  without  being  overcharmed — yea, 
ravished,  with  the  sight !  I  believe  that  for  picturesqueness 
of  situation  and  scenery,  mountains  near  and  far  off,  rocks 
and  glens,  and  the  sea  itself  within  hearing  and  seeing  dis- 


Edinhnrgh.  289 

tauce,  Ediiibuigh  has  no  equal !  To  give  a  minute  descrip- 
tion of  everything  that  attracts  the  i^ttention  of  the  eye  would 
be  to  give  a  description  of  the  whole,  for  "  every  prospect 
pleases,"  and  would  require  a  large  volume.  I  shall  only  at- 
tempt to  sketch  a  few  of  the  many  places  of  interest  connect- 
ed with  "Auld  Eeekie,"  in  the  order  in  which  I  saw  them. 

On  the  west  terminus  of  High  street,  on  a  lofty  rock  that 
rises  on  three  sides  several  hundred  feet  above  the  level  of  the 
ground,  stands  Edinburgh  Castle.  Tradition  says  that  it 
was  once  occupied  as  a  fortification  by  the  aboriginal  tribes, 
long  before  the  conquest  of  the  country  by  the  Romans ;  if  so, 
its  situation  must  have  rendered  it  impregnable.  But  much 
of  the  early  history  of  this  ancient  stronghold  is  unknown  ; 
time  kindly  shuts  out  many  of  the  dark  actions  of  the  past. 
When  Dr.  Johnson  visited  the  castle,  the  guide  mentioned 
that  tradition  asserted  that  a  part  of  it  had  been  standing 
three  hundred  years  before  the  birth  of  Christ.  "Much 
faith,"  replied  the  Doctor,  in  his  usual  manner,  "is  due  to 
tradition,  and  that  part  of  the  fortress  that  was  standing  at 
so  early  a  period  must  undoubtedly  have  been  the  rock  upon 
which  it  was  founded  !  " 

On  my  way  up  to  the  top,  from  the  lower  yard  1  met  fif- 
teen or  twenty  soldiers,  some  on  duty,  and  others  lounging 
lazily  around.  They  were  dressed,  not  in  kilts,  as  I  expected 
to  see  them,  but  in  the  English  red  and  black. 

Having  passed  through  the  outer  aifd  inner  yards,  and  then 
up  a  long  circuitous  alley,  I  found  myself  in  a  broad  open 
space,  with  soldiers,  citizens  and  great  guns.  On  the  Bomb 
Batterj'  is  quite  a  large  cannon,  called  "  Mons  Meg."     It  is 


290  RamUes  through  the  British  Isles. 

eighteen  feet  long,  hooped  like  a  barrel,  and  can  carry  a  ball 
five  feet  in  circumference.  According  to  history,  "  Mons 
Meg  "  was  forged  at  Castle  Douglas,  in  1486,  and  presented 
to  James  II.  by  the  McLellans,  when  he  was  besieging  the 
Castle  of  Threave.  "  Meg  "  was  rent  in  1682,  when  firing  a 
salute  in  honor  of  the  Duke  of  York's  visit  to  the  city.  Too 
great  a  quantity  of  powder  had  been  put  in,  and,  as  the 
charge  was  made  by  an  English  cannonier,  the  Scotch  say 
that  it  was  done  out  of  malice,  there  being  no  cannon  in  Eng- 
land so  large.  At  the  southeast  corner  of  the  castle  top,  is  a 
little  room,  not  more  than  twenty  feet  square,  and  adjoining 
it  is  a  bed-room  not  ten  feet  square,  where  Mary  Queen  of 
Scots  became  a  mother.  Here  James  the  Sixth  first  saw 
the  light,  and  tradition  asserts,  that  when  he  was  eight 
days  old  he  was  let  down  from  this  little  window  in  a  bas- 
ket, two  hundred  and  fifty  feet,  and  carried  off  to  Sterling 
Castle,  there  to  receive  Catholic  baptism.  On  the  wall  of  the 
chamber  is  the  prayer  Mary  is  said  to  have  offered  up  on  the 
birth  of  her  son.  It  is  painted  in  old  English.  The  following 
is  a  copy  of  it : 

Lord  Jesu  Chryst  that  Crownit  was -with  Thornise 
Preserve  the  Birth  whois  Bodgie  heir  is  borne. 
And  send  Hir  Sonee  Successione  to  Reigne  still 
Long  in  this  Realme,  if  that  it  be  Thy  will 
Als  Grant  O  Lord  whatever  of  Hir  proseed 
Be  to  thy  Gloi*e  Honer  and  Prais  sobied. 
Year  1566-Birth  ot  King  James— Month  19  Junii. 

The  room  in  which  the  Scottish  regalia  are  stowed  is  on  the 
east  side  of  the  quadrangle,  but  not  having  an  order  from  the 


JEdinhurgh.  291 

council  chamber,  I  was  unable  to  see  it,  and  my  time  being 
limited.  I  did  not  think  it  provident  to  go  ar.d  get  one.  The 
regalia  consists  simply  of  a  crown,  sceptre,  sword  of  state,  and 
other  crown  jewels,  symbols  of  Scotland's  ancient  glory,  now 
of  her  submission  !  These  were  long  supposed  to  have  been 
lost,  but  after  lying  in  an  old  oak  chest  from  the  date  of  the 
union,  they  were  brought  to  light  by  Sir  Walter  Scott,  in 
1818. 

While  on  my  way  down  from  the  airy  top,  I  thought  if  the 
old  castle  could  speak,  what  tales  she  might  tell  mo  of  olden 
times.  These  walls,  now  weather-beaten,  once  surrounded  in- 
furiated mobs,  and  by  them  have  passed  the  funeral  train  of 
successive  generations ;  and  through  these  streets  have  marched 
kings  and  queens,  some  in  honor  and  some  in  dishonor ;  yes, 
and  here  upon  these  pavements  Buchanan  and  Eobertson,  and 
Hume  and  Mackinzie,  and  Enmsey  and  Chalmers,  and  Knox 
and  Miller,  and^urns  and  Scott,  have  often  strolled  ;  visions 
of  the  past  came  up  before  me,  a  sacred  antiquity  looked  out 
from  every  crevice,  and  touching  memories  were  inscribed  on 
every  stone  !  Passing  down  High  street  toward  O&nong.ate, 
my  attt-ntion  Avas  called  to  the  first  house  on  the  right,  a  mis- 
erable looking  old  building,  b\it  worthy  of  a  passing  notice. 
This  was  once  the  residence  of  the  first  Duke  of  Gordon,  and 
in  the  gable  wall  is  to  be  seen  a  cannon-ball,  which  is  said  to 
have  been  shot  from  the  castle,  while  the  Pretender  had  pos- 
session of  the  town.  Continuing  my  journey  down  tho 
street  I  passed  the  Canongate  Church,  where  repose  the  bones 
of  Ferguson,  the  poet,  and  Adam  Smith,  the  political  econo- 
mist, and  a  little   farther  down,  where  Canongate  contracts 


292  Ramlles  tlirough  the  British  Isles 

into  a  narrow  lane  called  the  Netherbow.  Here  at  the  com- 
mencement of  this  narrow  street  stands  a  queer  looking  old 
building,  called  John  Knox's  house. 

"  Where  is  the  God  of  Salem?  where 

Our  Scottish  glory  given? 
Where  Knox's  spirit — Melville's  care — 
The  soul  of  fire,  the  hand  to  dare, 

Eefonning  gifts  of  Heaven  1 

"  When  Scotia,  from  her  hills  of  blue, 

Her  glens  and  mosses  given. 
Beheld  the  truth  burst  on  her  view, 
Aside  the  crucifix  she  threw. 

And  seized  the  Book  of  Heaven  ! 

"  Her  chieftain  Knox  her  banner  led. 

From  Popery  now  riven — 
The  field  she  took — no  blood  she  shed — 
The  cause  was  won — she  raised  her  head 
Amid  the  blaze  of  heaven  I 

"  The  nations  saw — nor  saw  in  vain —  • 

Away  the  foe  was  driven ; 
And  Europe  from  the  gloomy  reign 
Of  terror  rose,  and  blessed  again 

The  holy  light  of  heaven ! 

"  Thus  Salem  wept  at  Babel's  stream, 
Where  foemen  her  had  driven — 

She  wept,  she  sighed,  she  saw  the  beam 
Of  hope  descend — it  looked  a  dream, 
But  'twas  the  God  of  heaven  1 " 


'^'1''^ 


m 


John  Knox's 


XXXIII. 

IIoilE    OF    THK  GlCEAT    EeFORJIER. 

Time  consrcrates  ; 
And  what  is  sray  with  age  becomes  religion.  -  Schil 


'yF 


the  the  houses  in  Edinburgli  this  is  the 
Here    in  this 


'  --'  one   I  wanted   to   see  most 

.'    ,'/  '\    quaint  old  building  lived  and  labored  one  of 

/.''sj   the    boldest    spirits  of   the    Eeformation,  a 

W^^Sr^^J    ™"''^  over  whose  grave  tlie  Regent  of  Scotland, 

M  jJN'''^'^    truthfully  pronounced  this  noble  eulogium  : — 

°  fl«>^    "  ^^^^  ^^^s  he  who  never  feared  the  face  of  man." 

[■'■^'^l   Next  to  the  house  is  the  church  in  which  he  preached 

fearlessly  and  eloqixontly  to  kings  and  quiiens.  James  Melville, 

20 


294  Ramlles  through  the  British  Isles. 

speaking  of  John  Knox  as  a  preoxher,  says  :  "  In  the  opening  of 
his  text  he  was  moderate  the  space  of  an  half-hour  ;  but  when 
he  enterit  to  application,  he  made  me  sa  to  grew  and  tremble 
that  I  could  nocht  hold  a  pen  to  wryte.  Mr.  Knox  wald 
sumtymes  come  in  and  repose  him  in  our  college  yard,  and 
call  us  scholars  to  him  and  bless  us  and  exhort  us  to  know 
God  and  His  work  in  our  country,  and  to  stand  by  the  guid 
caus.  I  saw  him  every  day  of  his  doctrine  (preaching)  go 
hulie  and  fear  (cautiously)  with  a  furring  of  martriks  about 
his  neck,  a  stafif  in  the  ane  hand,  and  guid  his  godlie  Richart 
Ballenden,  his  servant  holdin  up  the  other  oxtar,  from  the 
abbey  to  the  paroche  Kirk,  and  by  the  said  Eichart  and 
another  servant,  lifted  up  to  the  pulpit  where  he  behovit  to 
lean  at  his  first  entrie,  but  or  he  had  done  with  his  sermon,  he 
was  sa  active  and  vigorous  that  he  was  like  to  ding  that  pul- 
pit in  blades  and  flee  out  of  it." 

Here  in  this  church,  it  is  said,  the  second  Reformation  re- 
ceived new  life,  through  the  action  of  a  woman.  Jennie 
Geddes  had  brought  her  stool  with  her  to  church,  on  the 
memorable  day  in  1637,  when  the  obnoxious  liturgy  of  Laud 
was  to  be  introduced  into  Scotland  by  authority.  The  Bish- 
op of  Edinburgh  had  just  asked  the  Dean  to  read  "  the  col- 
lect for  the  day,"  when  Jennie  exclaimed,  ♦'  Colic,  said  ye  ; 
the  dei'l  colic  the  name  o'  ye  ;  would  ye  say  mass  at  my  lug  ?  " 
and,  having  finished  her  speech,  she  lifted  her  stool,  and  sent 
it  flying  at  the  Dean's  head. 

There  is  nothing  very  remarkable  about  Knox's  house  ex- 
cept its  great  antiquity.  Over  the  lower  door  are  the  nearly 
obliterated  remains  of  the  following  inscription 


Home  of  the  Great  Reformer.  295 

Ltfe.  God.  Above.  Al.  And  Your  Nichtbour  As. 
Ye.  Self 
On  tlie  corner,  under  a  sort  of  canop}',  is  a  figure  of  a  man 
on  his  knees,  supposed  to  represent  Moses  on  the  Mount  re- 
ceiving the  law,  with  hand  raised,  and  finger  pointing  to  a 
stone  on  which  is  cut  the  name  of  God  in  three  languges, 
thus  : 

0£O?, 

Deus, 
God. 
Above  the  inscription  is  a  coat  of  arms,  to  which  no  clue 
can  now  be  found.  It  is  a  wreath  of  fiowers  encircling  three 
trees  and  three  crowns,  bearing  the  initials  J.  M.  and  A.  M., 
at  the  four  corners.  "What  changes  has  the  hand  of  old  Time 
brought  about  in  this  street  ?  Here  in  these  dingy  houses, 
that  surround  me,  once  lived  proud  princes  and  nobles,  now 
filled  with  the  poorest  of  the  poor  ;  and  where  once  was  heard 
the  voice  of  song  and  the  merry  laugh,  now  only  the  wail  of 
misery  and  want.  Princes,  knights  and  nobles  have  given 
place  to  toiling  artisans  and  emaciated  children  of  poverty. 
In  this  street  was  once  witnessed  the  clash  of  arms,  foe  met 
foe  in  deadly  grasp,  and  the  gathering  war  clouds  of  angry 
passion  often  emptied  themselves  without  law  or  justice.  Sir 
Walter  Scott  thus  refers  to  such  : 

"  ■When  the  streets  of  high  Duneden, 
Saw  lances  gleam,  and  falchions  redden. 
And  heard  the  Slogan's  deadly  yell." 

On  most  of  the  old  hovises  may  be  seen  rudely  carved  in 
scriptions,  some  in  old   English,  but  the  majority  in   Latin, 


296  Mamhks  throwjh  the  British  Isles. 

telling  of  the  times  previous  to  the  Eeformation.  Few  of 
these  can  at  all  be  deciphered.  The  waste  of  years  and  the 
hand  of  the  scavenger  have  put  out  of  sight  many  records  of 
the  past. 

"  Time  lays  his  hand 
On  pyramids  of  brass,  and  ruins  quite 
What  all  the  fond  artificers  did  think 
Immortal  workmanship  ;  he  sends  his  worms 
To  books,  to  old  records,  and  they  devour 
Th'  inscriptions.     He  loves  ingratitude, 
For  he  destroys  the  memory  of  man." 

Having  looked  at  the  exterior  of  Knox's  house,  I  passed 
up  the  outside  stairs,  at  the  top  of  which  is  a  door  opening 
into  a  small  hall.  Hero  I  was  met  by  the  lady  who  has  the 
house  in  charge,  and  who  for  dxpence  showed  and  explained 
to  me  everything,  from  sitting-room  to  garret.  From  the 
hall  below  there  is  a  narrow  circular  stairway  leading  first  to 
a  room  fitted  up  as  a  museum,  and  then  higher  still  to  the 
chamber  in  which  the  Reformer  slept.  The  recess  in  whicii 
stood  his  bed  was  pointed  out.  Here  he  laid  down  the  armor 
and  took  up  the  crown.  Just  a  little  before  he  died  he  said 
to  his  wife  who  stood  by,  "  Eead  me  the  chax:)ter  (17th  chapter 
of  John)  where  I  first  cast  anchor."  Dr.  Preston  being  with 
him,  offered  up  prayer,  and  then  asked  hiui  if  ho  heard  it. 
"  Would  to  Go*d,"  said  he,  "  that  you  and  all  men  could  have 
heard  as  I  have.  I  praise  God  for  the  heavenly  sound." 
Then  his  friend  Eichard  Bannantyne,  drawing  near  his  bed, 
said,  "  Now,  sir,  the  hour  that  you  have  longed  for,  to  wit, 
an  end  of  your  battle,  has  come  ;  ajid  seemg  now  all  natural 
powers  fail,  remember  the  comfortable  promise  which  often- 


Home  of  tlw  Great  Reformer.  297 

times  ye  have  sliown  to  us  of  our  Saviour  Christ  ;  that  we 
uiay  know  ye  understand  and  hear  us,  make  us  some  sign.'' 
Upon  this  he  lifted  up  his  hand  twice,  and  died  without  a 
struggle. 

"  Is  thot  a  death-bed  where  the  Chi-istiiin  lies  ? 
Yes,  but  not  his;  'tis  Death  itself  there  dies!  " 

John  Elnox  is  not  dead  !  he  still  lives — lives  in  the  hearts 
of  Scotia's  sons  and  daughters !  Lives  to-day  in  the  actions 
of  a  Protestant  world,  more  powerful  than  ever. 

From  the  bed-chamber  I  was  taken  into  a  little  room  not 
more  than  six  or  eight  feet  square.  This  is  called  his  study. 
Here  he  was  wont  to  clothe  himself  with  strength  for  battle. 
On  the  window  of  this  little  room  is  a  likeness  of  Knox,  also  his 
crest,  the  year  of  his  birth,  1505,  and  of  his  death,  1572.  And 
here  is  an  old  chair,  said  to  be  the  only  article  of  furniture  in 
the  house  which  belonged  to  him.  My  guide  called  it  his 
study  chair.  I  took  a  seat  in  it  for  a  little  while,  and  thought 
of  the  inspiration  which  filled  the  soul,  nerved  the  arm,  and 
made  brave  the  heart  of  the  Reformer ! 

If  the  date  on  the  window  be  correct,  Knox  came  into  the 
world  just  twenty-two  years  later  than  Martin  Luther,  and 
four  years  earlier  than  John  Galvin.  He  was  the  leading 
spirit  of  the  Reformation  in  Scotland,  as  Luther  was  in  Ger- 
many, and  Calvin  in  Switzerland — men  raised  up  and  anoint- 
ed from  on  high  to  battle  with  error  in  high  places. 

Next  I  was  shown  into  the  sitting-room,  or  what  was  once 
called  the  drawing-room.  This  is  the  largest  apartment  in 
the  house  ;  its  ceiling  and  walls  arc  lined  with  oak.  In  tliis 
room  there  is  an  old-fashioned  fire-place,  lined  with  poroclain 


298  Mamhks  ihrouyh  the  Briiisk  Isles. 

tiles  ;  each  tile  lias  a  picture  of  some  Bible  character  or  scene, 
done,  I  suppose,  after  the  same  manner  as  the  pictures  you 
and  I  were  wont  to  see  on  grandmama's  cups  and  saucers. 

In  the  museum  there  are  only  a  few  articles  worthy  of  no- 
tice, the  collection  being  made  up,  in  a  great  measure,  of  old 
relics  from  abroad,  such  as  ancient  implements  of  warfare, 
models  of  canoes,  idols  of  wood  and  stone.  A  few  of  the  arti- 
cles which  I  will  mention  are  those  connected  with  the  his- 
tory and  customs  of  Scotland  in  the  days  of  "  Auld  laug 
syne." 

Here  is  a  "piece  of  hark  from  the  tree  at  Cassils  omohich  John- 
ney  Faa  was  hanged.''''  A  sad  romance  is  connected  with  this 
little  piece  of  wood.  A  young  knight  of  Dunbar,  Sir  John 
Faa,  was  attached  to  Lady  Jane  Hamilton  of  Tynningham. 
Her  father,  the  Earl  of  Waddington,  opposed  his  suit  and 
married  her  to  the  Earl  of  Cassils,  a  stern  and  cruel  man. 
While  suffering  under  these  arbitrary  measures,  and  during 
the  absence  of  her  husband  in  England,  she  eloped  with  her 
lover,  Johnny  Faa,  who  came  to  the  castle  disguised  as  a 
gipsy.  The  Earl,  soon  returning,  pursued  the  fugitives,  and 
overtook  them  before  they  had  time  to  cross  a  ford  in  the 
Eiver  Doon.  He  brought  them  back  and  hanged  Faa  and  his 
companions  on  a  Dule  tree,  which  grew  on  a  mound  befoi-e 
the  castle  gate.  To  punish  the  countess  he  compelled  her 
to  witness  the  execution.  Following  this  is  "  a  cast  of  the 
head  of  Robert  Bruce.''''  It  is  said  a  few  years  before  Bruce's 
death,  he  met  the  Eed  Comyn  in  a  church  at  Dumfries, 
and  in  the  heat  of  passion  Bruce  stabbed  Comyn  so  that 
he  fell  dead  before  the  altar.     This  sin  lay  so  heavily  upon 


Ilome  of  the  Great  Itefonner.  299 

his  conscience,  that  in  order  to  expiate  his  crime,  he  made 
a  vow  to  enter  the  holy  wiu-,  then  waging  against  tho 
Saracens.  This  was  prevented  by  troubles  in  his  kingdom 
and  failing  health.  He  determined,  however,  that  the  vow 
should  be  accomplished,  and  requested  his  iriend,  Sir  James 
Douglas,  to  undertake  the  pilgrimage  for  him.  To  this  he 
consented,  and  set  sail  for  the  Holy  Land  soon  after  the  Kino-'s 
decease,  carrying  with  him  the  heart  of  Bruce.  On  their  way 
Sir  James  and  his  knights  turned  aside  to  aid  the  King  of  Ar- 
ragon,  who  was  fighting  the  enemy,  but  being  overpowered ' 
by  greater  numbers  in  a  skirmish,  "he  snatched  the  heart 
from  his  bosom  and  throwing  it  before  him,  fell,  saying,  '  lead 
on  first  as  thou  wert  wont,  bravo  heart,  and  Douglas  shall 
follow  thee  or  die.'  '' 

Next  are  several  instruments  of  punishment  hanging  from 
the  wall,  which  belong  to  a  later  period.     Here  is  one  labeled 


BRAKK.SFKOM  MoAlSi    jUoUSE. 

An  old  writer  says  "  the  branks  was  an  instrument  of 
ecch'siastical  punishment  for  female  scolds,  or  those  adjudged 
guilty  of  defamation."  It  is  made  of  iron,  and  surrounded 
the  head,  while  a  large  triangular  piece  was  put  into  the  mouth. 


300  Rambles  throKr/h  the  British  Isles. 

InWalih'oic^s  Biographical  Collection  we  find  that  persons  guilty 
of  uttering  scandalous  reports  without  ground,  were  obliged 
to  wear  one  of  these  branks  standing  on  a  scaffold  erected  in 
the  market-place,  exposed  to  the  gaze  of  the  multitude,  and 
on  taking  off  the  machine,  were  obliged  to  say  three  times, 
"  Tongue,  thou  hast  lied."  In  the  same  collection  is  the  follow- 
ing notice,  under  date  of  June  15th,  1596:  "  The  session  (of 
Glasgow)  appoint  jougs  and  branks  to  be  made  for  punishing 
ilyters."  The  jougs  are  made  of  iron,  in  the  shape  of  a  collar, 
and  fastened  around  the  neck,  having  two  chains  which  at- 
tach it  to  the  wall.  They  were  generally  found  in  churches, 
and  those  persons  who  behaved  improperly  during  the  ser- 
vice were  made  to  suffer  by  them,  Such  instruments  might 
be  brought  into  good  service  in  some  of  the  churches  of  the 
present  day  ! 

Close  by  is  another  instrument  called  "  thitmUins.'''  One  of 
its  last  victims  was  Mr,  William  Carstairs  ;  in  time  the  fortune 
o£  this  man  changed,  and  he  became  the  adviser  of  King  Wil- 
liam, regarding  the  affairs  of  Scotland,  and  also  the  principal 
of  the  University  of  Edmburgh.  The  thumbkins  by  which  he 
had  been  tortured  were  afterwards  presented  to  him  and  kept 
in  the  family  until  sent  to  the  Knox  Cabinet.  Chambers 
narrates  an  anecdote  in  connection  with  the  Carstairs'  thumb- 
kins,  which  is  worthy  of  a  place  :  "  'I  have  heard.  Principal,' 
said  King  William,  '  that  you  were  tortured  with  something 
called  thumbkins  ;  pray,  what  sort  of  an  instrument  of  torture 
is  it  ?  '  'I  will  show  you  it,'  answered  Carstairs,  '  the  first 
time  I  have  the  honor  to  wait  upon  your  Majesty.' 

"  Soon  after,  the  principal  brought  the  thumbkins  to  be 


Home  of  the  Great  liefurmcr.  30 1 

shou'ii  to  the  Kiug.  'I  must  try  it,'  said  the  King;  'I  must 
put  it  on  my  thumb;  here,  now,  Principal,  turn  the  screw. 
Oh  !  not  so  gently,  another  turn,  another.  Stop,  stop,  no 
more  ;  auollier  turn,  I'm  afraid  would  make  me  confess  any- 
thing.' " 

Here  is  another  instrument  which  brings  to  mind  some  of 
the  cruel  acts  of  Scottish  Christians  in  the  days  of  yore.  It  is 
labeled 


jj.^ 


■     "Witch's  Girdle  fiuoi  DrxBAr.TON  Castle. 

This  is  simply  a  strong  belt  of  iron,  which  was  placed  around 
the  witch's  waist,  with  a  chain  to  attach  it  to  the  stake,  or 
wall. 

Passing  on,  we  notice  "2)art  of  the  pastoral  staff  of  Cai'dinal 
Beaton,,  found  in  his  chaviber  in  the  Castle  of  St.  Andretcs.'^  Car- 
dinal Beaton  caused  that  good  man,  George  Wishart,  to  be 


302  Ramlles  through  the  Bnlisli  Isles. 

Durned  at  the  stake,  witnessing  the  cruel  deed  from  his  pal- 
lace  window.  Not '  long  after  the  cardinal  was  assassinated. 
He  died  saying,  "  I  am  a  priest.  Fie— fie  I  All  is  gone  !  •'  Sir 
David  Lindsey,  writing  of  the  murder,  says  : 

"  As  for  the  Cardinal,  I  grant 
He  was  a  man  weel  could  want, 
And  we'll  forget  bim  soon  : 
And  yet,  I  think,  the  soothe  to  say, 
Although  the  loon  is  weel  away, 
The  deed  was  foully  done." 


'"■■"^>^ 


^^^^^^^.^^^^^^^ 


'I 


i  t 


'^^j 


T,<>  -    ,-' 


XXXIV. 

HoLYHooD  Palace. 

"  The  boast  of  heraldry,  the  pomp  of  power, 
And  all  that  beauty,  all  that  wealth  e'er  gave- 
Await  alike  th'  inevitable  hour— 
The  paths  of  glory  lead  but  to  the  grave  !  " 

A'^^W  localities  in   Scotland  call  up  so  many 

F   -  'S    historic  and  romantic  associations  as  this  not 
'  ""^    very  magnificant  house.     The  building  itself 
i/^  ^o*-"^  v"^    is  of  stone,  and  quadrangular  in  form.     The 
^cr;;^,  V   length  from  north  to  south  is  about  two  hundred 
'■^^   and  thirty  feet,  and  a  little  less  from  east  to  west. 
Its  castellated  turrets  give  it  a  military  appearance, 
rt^   much   in  keejjing  with  the  character  of  its  past  his- 
tory. 

On  my  way  from  John  Knox's  house  I  passed  by  an  old 
building  with  the  following  inscription  over  the  door:  " /«, 
Sudore  niltus  tui,  vesceris  pane,^^  and  is  thought  td  have  once 
been  the  home  of  a  pious  baker.  And  just  a  little  below  this 
is  tlie  Canongate  jail  and  court-house,  on  the  front  of  which  is 
the  motto,  "  Sic  itur  ad  astrn.''^  What  a  motto  for  a  prison  and 
court  room  I  Almost  opposite  this  is  a  stone  pillar,  to  which  in 
olden  times,  scolds,  slanderers  and  the  like,  were  fastened  with 


306  Rambles  through  the  British  Isles 


the  "  jougs,"  for  public  gaze  and  reproach.  The  iron  staple  to 
which  the  jougs  were  attached,  though  feeling  somewhat  the 
wear  of  years,  is  still  to  be  seen.  After  taking  a  hurried  glance 
at  these  things  of  other  days,  a  few  minutes  walk  brought  me 
to  Holyrood  Palace,  Much  of  the  interest  which  clusters 
around  this  old  house,  strange  to  say,  grows  out  of  the-  fact, 
that  in  it  once  lived  the  beautiful,  but  frail  and  unfortunate 
Queen  of  Scots,  and  here  also  is  the  scene  where  her  jealous 
husband,  Darnley,  vented  his  spleen  upon  the  defenceless  Rizzio. 
The  only  portion  of  the  palace  which  is  of  much  antiquity 
is  the  north-west  tower,  in  which  are  the  Queen's  apart- 
ments. The  first  room  into  which  I  was  shown  is  called  the 
"Picture  Gallery."  This  is  a  hall  running  the  whole  length 
of  the  building,  and  is  about  twenty  or  thirty  feet  broad. 
The  walls  are  decorated,  or  disfigured,  I  hardly  know  which, 
by  the  portraits  of  over  one  hundred  Scottish  sovereigns,  who 
lived  from  the  time  of  Fergus  I.  to  James  I.  of  England, 
and  VI.  of  Scotland.  Most  of  these  are  merely  fanciful,  a 
few  were  taken  from  old  coins  and  others  from  private  pic- 
tures, and  are  said  to  have  been  painted  during  the  reign  of 
Charles  II.  The  portrait  before  which  visitors  stand  and  gaze 
is  that  of  '^  Maria  Stewartus,"  and  though  old  and  dark  like 
the  rest,  there  is  enough  of  beauty  about  it,  to  cause  the  most 
careless  looker-on  to  pause.  Mary  must  certainly  have  been 
very  handsome,  and  I  do  not  at  all  wonder  that  on  a  certain 
occasion  when  she  was  walking  in  procession  of  the  Host,  a 
poor  woman  should  rush  unconscioixsly  through  the  crowd 
to  touch  her,  that  she  might  convince  herself  that  she  was 
human ! 


ITohjrood  Fakce.  307 

"  A  lavish  planet  reigued  -when  she  was  bom, 
And  made  her  of  such  kindred  mould  to  heaven, 
She  seems  more  heav  n's  than  ours." 

In  this  hall  Prince  Charles  was  wont  to  hold  his  levees  and 
balls  ;  it  is  still  used  for  the  High  Commissioner  to  the  Gen- 
eral -Assembly  of  the  Church  of  Scotland,  and  for  the  election 
of  Peers.  At  almost  the  rear  of  the  hall  is  a  suite  of  rooms 
once  occupied  by  Charles  X.  and  his  family.  This  part  of  the 
palace  was  destroyed  by  the  soldiers  of  Cromwell,  but  has 
since  been  rebuilt.  In  these  rooms  there  is  nothing  worthy 
of  notice,  and  it  requires  quite  an  effort  to  make  one's  self 
believe  that  these  eight-by-ten,  poorly-lighted  and  still  more 
poorly -furnished  chambers  once  entertained  kings.  Next,  I 
was  shown  into  Queen  Mary's  audience  room,  the  room  in 
which  the  poor  Italian  was  cruelly  put  to  death.  Here  is  a  bed 
and  furniture  which  have  stood  the  wear  and  tear  of  nearly 
three  centuries. 

It  was  in  this  room  that  John  Knox  used  to  talk  to  the  Queen 
for  being  so  vain  ;  and  where  Mary  asked  him,  "  Think  you 
that  subjects,  having  the  power,  may  resist  their  princes  ?  " 
and  received  the  bold  reply,  "  If  princes  exceed  their  bounds, 
madam,  no  doubt,  they  may  be  resisted  even  by  power."  And 
here  it  was  he  addressed  the  maids  of  honor  in  these  words  : 
"  O  fair  ladies,  how  pleasing  were  this  laffe  of  yours,  if  it 
would  always  abyde,  and  then,  in  the  end,  that  ye  might 
pass  to  heaven  with  all  this  gay  gear.  But  fye  upon  that 
knave  Death,  that  will  come,  whedder  we  will  or  not."  In 
another  room  was  pointed  out  an  old  fire  grate,  the  first  in- 
troduced   into    Scotland.     From   the  audience  chamber   we 


308  Rambles  through  the  British  Isles. 

entered  the  bed-room.     This  apartment  is  small,  about  ten  or 
twelve  feet  square,  and  bears  a  very  time-worn  expression. 

The  Queen's  bed,  said  to  be  just  as  she  left  it,  looks  miserable 
enough.  Its  hangings  are  of  crimson  damask,  bordered  with 
green  silk  fringe  and  tassels ;  but  how  faded,  how  mouldy, 
liow  desolate !  Ah  me  !  and  there  is  her  little  work-table 
and  her  baby -haslet,  which  once  held  the  tiny  wardrobe  of  the 
infant  king.  Close  to  the  wall  is  the  stone  on  which  she  was 
crowned,  and  over  it  hangs  a  picture  of  herself  before  mar- 
riage. The  walls  of  the  chamber  are  covered  with  tapestry, 
hung  like  a  loose  curtain,  behind  which  is  a  door  opening  into 
a  closet,  in  which  is  the  secret  stairway,  through  which  it  is 
said  Lord  Darnley  and  "  hollow-eyed  "  Euthven,  with  other 
lords,  entered  on  the  9th  of  March,  1566,  and  effected  the 
murder  of  the  unarmed  boy,  David  Rizzio.  And  in  this  little 
room,  in  the  presence  of  the  Queen,  they  plunged  the  fatal 
dagger  into  the  bosom  of  the  poor  Italian,  while  he  strove  to 
shelter  himself  behind  the  Queen  ;  then  dragging  him  into 
an  adjoining  apartment  they  left  him  with  his  life  blood  flow- 
ing from  fifty-six  wounds, 

"  In  the  blossom  of  his  sins, 

"With  all  his  imperfections  on  his  head 

Unhouseled,  disappointed  unanelea !" 

Mary,  failing  to  save  his  life  by  her  cries,  entreaties 
and  threats,  dried  her  tears  and  said,  "  I  will  now  study  re- 
venge." The  subsequent  murder  of  her  cousin-husband, 
Darnley,  and  her  marriage  with  his  infamous  murderer.  Both- 
well,  showed  that  she  meant  all  she  said.  Rizzio's  blood,  either 
preserved  or   renewed,   is   still  pointed  out,    bringing  fresh 


RoJijrood  Fahue.  809 

before  the  vision  the  horrible  tragedy  of  three  hundred  years 

ago 

"Foul  deeds  will  rise, 
Though  all  the  earth  o'erwhelmed  them  to  men's  eyes, 
For  murder,  though  it  have  uo  tongue,  will  speak 
"With  most  miraculous  organ." 

A  little  back  of  the  palace  stands  the  last  relic  of  the  once 
noted  Abbey  of  Holyrood.  No  one  in  looking  at  the  ruin  can 
help  concluding  that  at  one  time  it  must  have  been  a  beauti- 
ful specimen  of  the  Gothic  architecture.  It  was  founded  by 
David  I.,  in  1128,  under  the  order  of  Saint  Augustine,  and 
was  one  of  the  richest  establishments  in  Scotland.  This  old 
church  has  been  the  scene  of  many  irrteresting  historical 
events.  In  it  Charles  I.  was  crowned  king  of  Scotland,  and 
James  II.,  James  III.,  and  here  Queen  Mary  and  Darnley  were 
married.  Here  the  Papal  Legate  presented  to  James  IV., 
from  Pope  Julius  II.,  the  Sword  of  State,  which  is  preserved 
among  the  regalia  of  Scotland,  and  for  a  time  its  roof  sheltered 
the  buried  dust  of  kings,  queens  and  nobles.  The  abbey  is 
now  roofless,  and  only  a  few  broken  walls  remain  to  tell  of  its 
vast  greatness  and  splendor.  In  a  little  vault  at  the  south- 
west cornermay  be  seen  through  the  grating  of  the  door,  two 
skulls  and  some  arm  and  leg  bones,  with  this  inscription 
above  :  "  Only  remains  of  the  Kings  and  Queens  of  Scotland, 
David  II.,  James  II.,  Arthur,  James  V.,  Magdalene,  Queen  of 
James  V.,  Arthur  of  Albany  and  Lord  Darnley." 

In  sight,  and  far  above  the  palace  is 
Calton  Hill. 

This  is  the  highest  point  in  the  new  town  ;  its  elevation  is 

almost  equal  to  the  castle  summit  of  the  old.     The  Scotch 
21 


310  liainhli'n  iJiiumjJi  tliAi  British  Ides. 

have  been  trying,  it  would  seem,  to  cover  it,  like  the  Acropo- 
lis of  Athens,  with  monuments  of  their  warriors,  statesmen 
and  poets.  Of  these  the  most  conspicuous  are  Lord  Nelson's 
and  the  National  monuments.  The  former  is  about  one  hun- 
dred and  twenty  feet  high,,  which,  with  the  hill,  gives  it  an 
altitude  of  over  five  hundred  feet  above  the  level  of  the  sea. 
It  is  built  after  the  form  of  a  light-house,  and  serves  the  dou- 
ble purpose  of  monument  and  prospect  tower  for  si^t-seers. 
By  the  payment  of  ten  cents  the  visitor  is  admitted  to  the 
summit,  from  which  there  is  a  magnificent  panoramic  view  of 
surpassing  beauty  and  variety.  On  the  flag-stuff  there  is'a 
large  Time-ball  which  drops  exactly  at  one  o'clock,  Greenwich 
time.  And  in  connection  with  this  there  is  a  gun  fired  by 
electricity  at  the  same  moment  from  the  castle. 

But  the  most  noteworthy  object  on  Calton  Hill  is  the  Na- 
tional Monnjjaent — a  monument  to  the  nation's  folly,  for 
having  commenced  the  work  without  counting  the  cost,  or 
measuring  their  strength.  After  the  battle  of  "Waterloo, 
gratitude  welled  up  within  the  Scottish  heart,  and  they  "  re- 
solved at  a  great  public  meeting  in  Edinburgh,  to  erect  some 
public  building,  which  should  perpetuate  the  remembrance 
of  events,  in  which  the  heroism  of  Scotsmen,  was  so  conspic- 
uous." The  work  of  erecting  the  same  was  commenced  in 
1822,  during  King  George's  residence  in  Scotland.  '  And  the 
idea  was  to  produce  an  exact  model  of  the  Parthenon  at  Ath- 
ens. At  the  expiration  of  two  years  over  ninety  thousand 
dollars  were  spent  in  the  erection  of  three  steps  and  ten  ex- 
terior columns,  and,  for  want  of  funds,  here  it  has  rested  for 
almost  fifty  years,  and  doubtless  will  rest  for  many  more. 


Cal/olfJIilJ.  311 

It  has  been  thought  by  some  that  the  mouumeiit,  as  it  now 
stands,  is  more  picturesque  than  if  completed.  But  I  can't 
see  it  in  that  light !  It  is  all  very  well  for  the  Scotch  to 
make  the  best  of  their  failure.  The  fox  said  "The  grapes  are 
sour"  when  he  found  out  he  could  not  reach  them.  And  we 
often  iind  out  what  we  will  do  by  learning  what  we  can't  do. 

The  handsomest  monument  in  the  city  is  Scott's,  situated 
on  the  finest  street  in  the  empire,  and  well  worthy  of  such  a 
place.  It  was  erected  in  1844,  at  an  expense  of  over  one  hun- 
dred thousand  dollars.  This  stately  pile,  rising  inrich  artis- 
tic beauty,  might  almost  be  worshiped  without  sin,  for  its  liJce  is 
not  in  heaven  above  nor  on  the  earth  beneath,  nor  in  the  waters 
under  the  earth  !  It  was  designed  and  partly  built  by  George 
Meikle  Kemp,  a  self-taught  genius,  who  fell  into  the  Union 
canal  and  was  drowned  before  its  completion,  but  his  name 
will  live  as  long  as  the  monument  stands.  In  form  it  resem- 
bles an  open  spire  about  two  hundred  feet  high,  and  has  in 
its  base  a  beautiful  ground  arch,  in  which  is  a  colossal  statue 
of  Sir  Walter  and  his  dog  "  Maida,"  in  gray  marble,  sculp- 
tured by  Sfecl.  The  figures,  occupying  the  little  arch(>s 
which  unite  the  base  to  the  running  spire,  are  mostly  filled 
up  by  statues,  cut  in  red  sandstone,  of  the  most  familiar 
characters  in  Scott's  works. 

There  is  also  an  inside  stairway  which  leads  up  to  a  gallery 
a  few  feet  from  the  top,  from  which  place  some  think  the  best 
view  of  the  city  may  be  had,  but  I  don't  believe  it.  As  a 
whole,  the  monument  is  not  to  be  equaled  in  the  British  Isles, 
if  in  the  world  !  The  gardens  around  the  slope,  on  the  brow 
of  whicli  it  stands,  are  elegantly  laid  out,  and  free  to  all.     To 


312  Rambles  througH  the  British  Isles. 

the  right  of  the  monument,  as  you  stand  facing  the  old  town, 
on  one  of  the  bridges  spanning  the  valley,  is  built  the  art  gal- 
lery, a  solid  stone  structure,  pillared  on  every  side,  and  might 
well  be  called  the  Parthenon  in  minature.  The  view  from 
this  place  at  night  is  one  of  the  finest  I  have  ever  witnessed. 
Facing  the  east,  on  the  right  are  the  houses  of  the  old  town 
running  up  eight,  ten  and  twelve  stories  high,  and  then  rising 
one  above  another  as  if  desirous  to  reach  the  skies.  These  are 
crowded  with  the  poorer  classes  from  the  cellar  to  the  garret ; 
every  room  has  its  separate  occupant  and  consequently  every 
window  in  this  immense  pile  of  buildings  is  illuminated.  On 
the  left  is  Prince  street,  with  its  long  row  of  well-lighted, 
beautiful  stores,  looking  over  the  flower  and  tree  filled  valley. 
The  illumination  of  the  old  city  is  the  consequence  of 
poverty  and  wretchedness,  and  in  the  new  of  wealth  and  lux- 
ury ;  both  uniting  make  an  illuminated  picture  of  remarkable 
effect.  Here  poverty  and  wealth  have  met  together,  wretched- 
ness and  luxury  have  kissed  each  other  ! 


"  You  i^is'd  these 


XXXV. 

Outside  the  City. 

Strang-er,  if  e'er  thine  ardent  step  hath  traced 

The  northern  realms  of  ancient  Caledon, 

Sublime  delight  thy  soul  hath  known.— Lord  of  the  /sles. 

^  O  one  visiting  Edinburgh  should  fail,  if  he 
o"^/-77TV  T/ciX  ^^^  spare  the  time,  to  spend  a  few  hours 
'z:0  on  Arthur's  Seat,  or  Salisbury  Crags.  Back 
J7%  of  Holyrood  Palace  stands  this  rocky  emi- 
nence. A  romantic  and  historic  walk  of  two 
;.  jS^  hours,  brought  me  to  its  summit.  After  passing 
'  ..  -  .^  the  old  ruin  of  Saint  Anthony's  Chapel,  which  lies 
o'-^G^^^  a  little  out  of  the  way,  is  a  noted  spring,  or  well, 
where  a  number  of  boys  and  girls  stood  anxiously  waiting  to 
help  the  passing  stranger  to  a  cup  of  cold  sparkling  water. 
For  this  favor  they  generally  receive  a  few  half-pence  in  re- 
turn.    At  this  well,  which  is  called  St.  Anthony's,  and  famed 


m 


314  Ramhles  througli  tlie  British  Isles. 

in  Scottish  song,  did  many  a  way-worn  traveler  quench  his 
thirst,  and  of  its  waters,  too,  have  kings,  queens  and  nobles 
sipped  in  the  days  of  Scotia's  royalty.  And  just  in  sight  is  a 
small  lake  which  would  charm  the  eye  of  a  Michael  Angelo, 
or  Raphael.  From  this  point  to  the  top  of  the  hill  the  path 
is  steep  and  circuitous,  but  the  evershifting  variety  of  the 
scenery  made  me  forget  the  toil.  And  the  "  Blue  Bells  "  that 
bordered  my  path  often  called  to  remembrance  the  land  in 
which  I  was  sojourning.  The  little  daisy,  beautiful  in  its 
simplicity,  is  here,  bringing  fresh  to  mind  the  words  written 
by  Burns,  after  turning  one  down  with  the  plough  : 

"  Wee,  modest  crimson-tipped  flower, 
Thou'st  met  me  in  an  evil  hour." 

The  summit  being  reached,  the  air  was  so  pure  and  brac- 
ing, and  the  sights  so  novel  and  grand,  I  felt  light  as  a 
feather  and  strcfag  as  a  lion  ! 

On  my  way  up,  I  made  the  acquaintance  of  a  very  compan- 
ionable middle-aged  man,  who  pointed  out  the  many  places 
of  interest,  as  they  lay  within  the  range  of  our  vision  from 
this  God-made  observatory.  He  seemed  much  at  home  with 
the  name  and  history  of  almost  every  place  in  the  vicinity  of 
Edinburgh.  All  around  us  lay  sights  beautiful  and  sublime  ! 
At  our  feet  the  "  Queen  of  the  British  Isles,"  peaceful  and 
quiet.  In  the  distance  Leith  and  its  well-filled  harbor,  and  a 
little  beyond  the  Firth  of  Forth  with  its  blue  waters.  In 
another  direction  lay  a  large  tract  of  rich,  well  cultivated 
farming  land,  with  a  good  sprinkling  of  well-sheltered,  com- 
fortable looking  homesteads.  To  the  south,  the  Lamnicinioor 
and  Pentland  Hills, keeping  watch  over  the  town  of  Dalkieth. 


Outside  the  City.  315 

with  Craig  Millar  Castlo  just  in  sight.  On  the  north  the  tall 
spires  of  the  Highland  family,  with  Bon  Nevis  in  the  midst, 
fatherly  and  majestic. 

"  Vales,  lakes,  woods,  mountains,  islands,  rocks  and  seas, 
Huge  hills,  that  heap'd  in  crowded  order  stand, 
Vast  lumpy  gi-oups— ■while  Ben,  who  often  shrouds 
His  loity  summit  in  a  veil  of  clouds. 
High  o'er  the  rest  displays  superior  state." 

In  the  distance  is  the  Xorth  Sea,  which  rolls  between  the 
mouth  of  the  Forth  and  the  Baltic  ;  the  sea  over  which  sailed 
the  proud  fleets  of  other  days. 

Hour  after  hour  I  lingered  on  the  summit,  nor  did  I  turn 
my  face  homeward  until  the  king  of  day  hid  himself  behind 
the  western  hills.  I  am  now,  as  never  before,  able  to  enter 
into  the  spirit  of  the  language  of  one  of  Scotland's  most  hon- 
ored sons,  who  said :  "  If  I  were  to  choose  a  spot  from  which 
the  rising  or  setting  sun  could  be  seen  to  the  greatest  possible 
advantage,  it  would  be  that  wild  path  winding  around  the 
fo3t  of  the  high  belt  of  semi-circidar  rocks,  called  Salisbury 
Crags,  and  marking  the  verge  of  the  steep  descent  which 
slopes  down  into  the  glen  on  the  south-eastern  side  of  the 
city  of  Edinburgh."  On  my  way  into  the  city,  I  saw  for  the 
first  time  in  Caledon,  what  I  expected  to  see  in  every  high- 
way and  byway,  a  Highlander  piping  with  his  pipes.  He 
was  a  tall,  able-bodied  man,  dressed  in  kilts  and  sash;  cover- 
ing his  flaxen  hair,  he  wore  a  bonnet,  or  what  is  better  known 
by  the  name  of  Scotch  cap,  adorned  with  a  few  feathers  from 
a  peacock's  tail.     I  once  was  of  the  opinion  that  the  unpleas- 


316  Rambles  through  the  British  Isles. 

ant  squeaking  of  the  bagpipes,  was  perhaps  owing  to  their 
absence  from  home,  and  if  played  in  their  own  nalive  land, 
they  would  have  a  sweetness  and  a  charm  for  me  of  which  in 
America  I  was  wholly  unconscious.  But  instead  of  this,  it 
seemed  as  if  I  never  heard  them  give  forth  such  horrible 
sounds.  I  am  a  lover  of  music,  but  the  bagpipes,  to  my  mind, 
and  in  my  ears,  make  nothing  but  discord,  intolerable  noises, 
and  dismal  drones !  and  are  only  fit  to  be  used  as  an  instru- 
ment of  torment ! 

Butler  has,  in  my  judgment,  given  a  good  description  in  the 
following : 

"  The  bagpipes  of  the  loudest  drones, 
With  snuffling',  broken-winded  tones, 
Do  make  a  viler  noise  than  swine 
In  windy  weather,  when  they  whine." 

On  the  banks  of  the  North  Esk,  about  eight  miles  from 
Edinburgh,  is  situated  the  beautiful  and  romantic 

EOSLIN. 

The  day  was  delightful  on  which  I  visited  the  place.  The 
birds-eye  view  which  I  had  of  it  from  Salisbury  Crags,  did 
not  satisfy,  so  I  resolved  to  see  more  closely  the  place  that 
has  so  often  excited  the  admiration  of  the  stranger. 

Taking  the  coach  which  leaves  Edinburgh  at  11  o'clock, 
we  passed  through  the  suburb  of  Newington  and  the  small 
village  of  Liberton.  The  sights  on  our  way  were  many  and 
various,  causing  us  to  be  forgetful  of  the  passing  hours.  And 
now  we  are  in  sight  of  the  place  to  which  Campbell  in  his 
beautiful  ballad  thus  alludes: 


Out  side  the  City.  317 

"  Oh,  Gildcroj-,  bethought  we  tlion 
So  soon,  so  sad  to  part, 
When  first  in  Roslin's  lovely  glen 
You  triumphed  o'er  my  heart." 

Eoslin  at  one  time  held  a  high  rank  among  the  cities  of 
Scotland  ;  now  there  are  but  a  few  houses  ;  not  enough  to  be 
called  a  village.  Hay,  its  historian,  says  :  "  About  that  time "' 
(that  is,  at  the  building  of  the  chapel)  "  the  town  of  Eoslin, 
being  next  to  Edinburgh  and  Haddington,  in  East  Lothian, 
became  very  populous  by  the  great  concourse  of  all  ranks  and 
degrees  of  visitors  that  resorted  to  this  prince  at  his  palace  of 
the  Castle  of  Eoslin  ;  for  he  kept  a  great  court,  and  was  roy- 
ally served  at  his  own  table  in  vessels  of  gold  and  silver :  Lord 
Dirlington  beinghis  master  of  the  househould.  Lord  Borthwick 
his  cup-bearer,  and  Lord  Fleeming  his  carver  ;  in  whoso  ab- 
sence they  had  deputies  to  attend,  viz.,  Stewart,  Laird  of  D;ft-- 
lington,  Tweedie,  Laird  of  Di'ummerline,  and  Sandilands, 
Laird  of  Calder.  He  had  his  haU  and  the  apartments  richly 
adorned  with  embroidered  hangings.  His  Princess,  Elizabeth 
Douglas,  already  mentioned,  was  served  by  seventy-five  gen- 
tlewomen, whereof  fifty-three  were  daughters  of  noblemen,  all 
clothed  in  velvets  and  silks,  with  thin  chains  of  gold  and 
other  ornaments  ;  and  was  attended  by  two  hundred  riding 
gentlemen  in  all  her  journeys ;  and  if  it  happened  to  be  dark 
when  she  went  to  Edinburgh,  where  her  lodgings  were  at  the 
foot  of  Blackfriar's  "Wynd,  eighty  lighted  torches  were  carried 
before  her."  Eoslin  Chapel  is  not  large  ;  but  unsurpassed  by 
any,  either  great  or  small,  thoughout  the  kingdom,  as  a  mas- 
ter piece  of  Gothic  architecture.     It  was  built  by  William  De 


318  Ramhks  fhro^igh  the  British  Isles. 

Saint  Clair,  Prince  of  Orkney,  in  1446.  Britton  pronounces 
it  "  unique,  curious,  elaborate  and  singularly  interesting."  In- 
deed, the  ornamentation  is  astonishing,  and  would  require  a 
long  article  should  I  go  into  detail.  During  the  Eevolution 
and  Reformation  the  building  sustained  some  injury,  but  not 
so  much  as  most  other  buildings  of  the  kind.  This  may  have 
been  owing  to  its  having  fewer  crosses  and  Eomish  fixings  in  its 
adornment  than  the  other  churches  of  its  day.  Cromwell 
and  his  co-workers  seemed  to  have  sworn  eternal  hatred  to 
all  images,  indeed,  to  everything  that  savored  in  the  least  of 
Popery,  and  fi.nding  little  of  the  kind  here,  they  in  mercy  spared 
it.  But  time  has  made  some  inroads  upon  its  beauty.  What 
will  not  time  destroy  ?  A  few  years  ago  it  was  partially  re- 
stored, and  is  now  used  as  a  place  of  worship. 

A  short  distance  from  the  chapel  stands  the  ruins  of  the 
once  great  stronghold, 

EosLix  Castle.^ 

It  is  supposed  to  have  been  built  by  the  same  nobleman  who 
founded  the  chapel.  It  has  a  position  of  singularly  roman- 
tic beauty,  being  a  steep  promontory  of  rocks,  overhanging 
the  bed  of  the  Eiver  Esk,  and  at  one  time  only  accessible  by  a 
drawbridge.  The  surrounding  scenery  is  enchanting,  though 
not  so  grand  or  picturesque  as  it  must  have  been  in  the  days 
of  yore. 

"  High  o'er  the  pines,  that  with  their  darkening  shade. 
Surround  yon  craggy  bank,  the  castle  rears 
Its  crumbhng  turrets,  till  its  towering  head 
A  warlike  mien,  a  sullen  grandeur  wears. 


Jlaidhorndcn.  319 

So,  'mitlst  the  snow  of  age,  a  boastful  air 
Still  on  the  -war-worn  veteran's  brow  attends  ; 

Still  his  big  brow  his  youthful  prime  declares, 
Though  trembling  o'er  the  feeble  crutch  he  bends." 

A  few  minutes'  walk  from  Koslin,  along  the  banks  of  the 
beautiful  Esk,  brought  me  to  the  classic  walls  of 

Hawthornden. 

Here  lived  and  labored  the  noted  historian  and  poet,  Wil- 
liam Drummond.  In  it  he  wK)te  his  history  of  the  five 
Jameses,  his  Cypress  Grove,  and  his  Flqwers  of  Sion,  and  to  this 
place  Dr.  Johnson  is  said  to  have  come  all  the  way  from  Lon- 
don, on  foot,  to  see  him.  It  was  during  this  visit  Johnson 
dined  with  a  Scottish  lady,  who,  as  a  compliment,  prepared 
some  "  hotch-potch,"  a  celebrated  Scotch  dish,  for  his  dinner. 
After  the  doctor  had  tasted  it,  she  asked  him  if  it  was  good  ? 
To  which  he  replied,  "  Very  good  for  hogs  !  "  "  Then  pray," 
said  the  lady,  "allow  me  to  help  you  to  a  little  more  of  it." 

The  old  house  stands  as  the  crowning  glory  of  a  lofty  ledge 
of  freestone  rocks,  at  the  foot  of  which  runs  the  river,  which 
has  not  grown  old,  but  is  as  noisy,  sparkling  and  playful 
as  when  the  poet  mused  on  its  banks  and  gathered  inspiration 
from  its  song.  Below  the  precipice,  upon  which  the  house 
is  built,  are  several  deep  caverns,  whose  construction  tradi- 
tion assigns  to  the  Pictish  monarchs,  who  used  them  for  places 
of  refuge  during  the  terrible  wai's  which  so  long  raged 
between  Scots  and  Picts,  or  the  English  and  Scotch.  Here, 
as  at  the  Giant's  Causeway  and  Fingal's  Cave,  each  cavern  has 
received  a  name ;  one  is  called  the  King's  Gallery,  anotlier 
the  Kinjr's  Bedchamber,  and  a  third  the  Guard-room.     Tliort!  ic! 


320  Ramlles  throucjh  the  British  Isles. 

also  another  a  smaller  one,  called  th.e  Cypress  Grove,  in  -which 
Drummond  is  thought  to  have  composed  his  poem  of  that 
name.  The  poet's  memory  remains  ever  fresh  and  fragrant. 
His  songs  and  sufferings  still  linger  about  these  rocks  and 
caves,  and  doubtless  will  continue  so  to  do  while  water  runs 
and  grass  is  green. 

"  Eoslin's  towers  and  braes  are  bonnie  ! 

Crags  and  water  !  woods  and  glen ! 
Eoslin's  banks  !  nnpeered  by  ony, 

Save  the  muses'  Hawthornden." 

Ckichton  Castle. 

About  twelve  miles  fi-om  the  metropolis,  on  the  banks  of  the 
Tyne,  stands  an  ancient  and  magniflceut  ruin  called  Crichton 
Castle.  It  is  quadrangular  in  form,  very  strong  and  massive, 
with  a  court  in  the  center.  Its  appearance  would  indicate  that 
it  was  built  in  different  ages,  and  yet  upon  a  systematic  plan. 
On  the  east  side  is  a  strong  old  tower,  which  apjiears  to  have 
been  the  original  part  of  the  building.  The  walls  and  rooms 
of  the  central  jjart  exhibit  traces  of  taste  and  skill  in  the  art  of 
architecture ;  indeed,  all  j)arts  of  the  old  castle  beai*  outlines 
of  its  once  remarkable  elegance  and  strength.  The  surround- 
ings are  caj^tivating.  From  its  windows  we  look  out  upon  a 
beautiful  glen,  through  which  the  sj^arkling  waters  of  the  Tj-ne 
slowly  meanders.  Beyond  are  beautiful  groves  and  pasture- 
fields,  with  mountains  in  the  back  ground,  giving  strength  and 
finish  to  the  prospect. 

Sir  Walter  Scott,  in  his  fourth  canto  of  "Marmion,"  has 
graphically  pictm-ed  this  old  stronghold  of  other  days : 


Crichton  Castle. 


"  Tliiit  oastlo  rises  on  the  steep 

Of  the  green  vale  of  Tyuo ; 
And  far  beneath,  where  slow  they  creep 
From  pool  to  eddy,  dark  and  deep, 
Where  alders  moist,  and  willows  weep, 

Ton  hear  her  streams  repine. 
The  towers  in  diflfercnt  ages  rose ; 
Their  vmious  lU-ehitectiirc  shows 

The  builders'  various  hands ; 
A  mighty  mass,  that  could  oppose, 
When  deadliest  hatred  fired  its  foes, 

The  vengeful  Douglas'  bands. 
Crlchtoun  1  though  now  thy  miry  court 

]5ut  pens  the  lazy  steer  and  sheep, 

Thy  turrets  rude  and  tottered  Keep 
Have  been  the  minstrel's  loved  resort. 
Oft  have  I  traced  within  thy  fort, 

Of  nfoldering  shields  the  mystic  sense. 

Scutcheons  of  honor,  or  pretence, 
Quartered  in  old  armorial  sort, 

Kemains  of  rude  magnificence." 

JtI.ybbie's  Howe. 


Before  returning  to  Edinljurgh  we  visited  "  Ilabbie's  Howe," 
the  scene  of  Allan  Ramsay's  "  Gentle  Shepherd."  The  place  is 
a  seciuestered  glen,  through  which  runs  a  small  stream,  having 
a  fall  at  one  point  of  about  twenty  feet  in  height.  The  place 
and  its  surroundings,  of  themselves,  are  wholly  withoi;t  attrac- 
tion ;  and  yet  this  is  the  most  popular  resort  of  the  citizen  and 
the  traveler,  which  shows  conclusively  the  poet's  power.  To 
read  Ramsay's  description  in  his  pastoral  is  to  see  the  place 
with  all,  and  more  than  all,  its  charms,  without  the  fatigue  and 
expense  of  the  journey  : 

"  Thefc.  'tween  twa  birks,  out  ower  a  little  lln, 
The  water  fa's  and  mak's  a  singin'  din ; 
A  pule,  breast-deep,  beneath,  as  clear  as  glass, 
Kisses  wi'  easy  whirls  the  bord'ring  grass." 


322  Rambles  through  the  British  Isles. 

Further  on  it  runs  beneath  several  romantic  crags,  whose  crev- 
ices are  filled  mtli  birches  and  other  shrubbery,  leaving  here 
and  there  the  most  inviting  resort. 

"  Beneath  the  south  side 'of  a  craggy  bleld, 
Where  crystal  springs  their  halesome  water  yield, 
Twa  youthfu'  shepherds  on  the  gowans  lay, 
Tenting  theii-  flocks  ae  bouny  morn  o'  May." 

A  crag,  called  h\  some  "  The  Harbour  Craig,"  and  by  others 
''  The  Lover's  Loup,"  li^s  just  before  us. 

"  Tounder's  a  craig — sin  ye  hae  tint  a'  houp, 
Gae  tiirt  your  wa'S  and  tak'  the  lover's  loup." 

Still  on,  and  we  come  to  where  the  glen  widens  into  an  open 
field  of  most  luxuriant  green. 

At  the  head  of  this  "howm,"  and  close  to  the  stream,  stands 
the  ruins  of  an  old  washing-house. 

"A  flow'rie  howm,  between  twa  verdant  braes. 
Where  lasses  use  to  wash  and  spread  their  clae~s ; 
A  trottin'  burnie  wimplin  thro'  the  ground, 
Its  channel  peebles  shining  smooth  and  round." 

A  little  to  the  west  is  the  Carlops  Hill,  in  a  niche  or  dell  of 
which  once  hved  a  carline  or  witch.  She  was,  it  is  said,  often 
seen  "  frisking  "  on  her  broom  across  the  entrance.  Here,  too, 
were  jaointed  out  the  old  ash  tree,  blasted  and  broken,  tJie 
cottage,  and  the  well. 

"  The  open  field ;  a  cottage  in  a  glen  ; 

An  auld  vnia  spinning  at  the  snnuy  end : 

At  a  sma'  distance,  by  a  blasted  tree, 

Wi'  faulded  arms  and  half-raised  look,  ye  see." 


^^'i 


'  Glances  on  every  side  of  fresh  couiil  r> 

XXXYI. 

■    Melkose  Abbey. 

Like  some  tall  rock,  with  lichens  gray, 
Seemed,  dimly  huge,  the  dark  Abbey. — Scott.     ■ 

^^y^-^^^j^^  HE  day  on  which  I  visited  Melrose  was  one 
of  peculiar  loveliness.     Not  a  cloud  darkened 
a  N<    the  sky.     The  air  was  clear,  and  filled  with 
"""^      the  balmy  perfume  of  Juno's  opening  buds 


^im 


y^f~'^''wJ  ^^^  laughing  flowers.  The  distance  between 
'•'  /i  I'l^  Edinburgh  and  Melrose  is  about  thirty-six  or 
iv  I  *  ':|jj  seven  miles,  and  the  scenery  on  the  way  is  charming. 
tt"g%*'Si  Hill  and  valley,  glen  and  river,  were  passed  by  in . 
quick  succession,  and  before  it  seemed  possible  that  we  had 
reached  our  destination,  the  train  stopped,  and  the  officer 
shouted,  "  Melrose  !  "  Eight  well  was  I  paid  for  the  time  and 
expense  of  my  journey.  This,  truly,  is  the  most  magnificent 
ruin  in  Scotland,  and  to  visit  "  the  land  of  brown  heath  and 
shaggy  woods,"  without  coming  to  see  Melrose  Abbey,  would 
bo  like  a  traveler  visiting  Buffalo  without  turning  aside  to  see 
Niagara. 

Melrose  Abbey  was  founded  by  David  1.  of  Scotland,  and 
dedicated  to  the  Virgin   Mary.     In  1322  it  was  destroyed  by 


324  Eamhles  tliroucjli  iJie  British  Isles. 

Edward  II. 's  army,  and  was  again  rebuilt  by  Robert  Bruce. 
In  1545  it  was  partially  despoiled  by  an  invading  English, 
ai-my,  and  during  tlie  Eelbrmation  it  was  robbed  of  much  of 
its  former  splendor.  The  material  of  which,  it  is  composed  is 
red  stone,  and  if  I  were  going  to  judge  of  its  age  by  its  ap- 
pearance, I  should  be  apt  to  think  it  had  its  origin  in  the 
eighteenth  century,  rather  than  the  thirteenth.  Many  of  the 
columns,  arches,  doors,  and  windows  are  entire,  and  much  of 
the  ornamentation,  the  curiously  carved  flowers,  and  leafy 
workmanship,  seems  more  like  the  Avork  of  yesterday  than 
that  of  six  hundred  years  ago.  It  is  situated  in  the  midst  of 
an  open  space  of  ground,  which  is  used  as  a  grave-yard,  and 
very  much  neglected.  It  is  built  in  the  form  of  a  Latin  cross, 
two  hundred  and  eighty-five  feet  by  one  hundred  and  thirty, 
with  a  square  tower  eighty-four  feet  high  in  the  centre,  of 
which  only  a  part  is  left.  The  present  entrance  is  by  a 
Gothic  door  in  the  base  of  the  southern  transept.  It  is  now 
almost  roofless,  except  three  small  chapels,  which  retain  their 
original  canopy,  and  the  part  which  in  1816  was  fitted  up  for 
a  parish  church,  and  covered  with  stones  which  were  once 
used  in  the  old.  In  the  grave-yard  the  portress  pointed 
me  to  the  .graves  of  Alexander,  one  of  Scotland's  most 
illustrious  kings  ;  James,  Earl  of  Douglas,  who  fell  at  Otter- 
burn,  and  several  members  of  the  house  of  Douglas,  of  Scott, 
and  of  other  noted  border  families.  Here,  too,  according  to 
tradition,  is  deposited  the  heart  of  Robert  Bruce. 

On  almost  every  wall  are  seen  marks  of  the  balls  from  Oliver 
Cromwell's  guns.  Even  this  fair  temple,  with  all  its  beauty 
of  construction  and  workmanship,  was  not  spared  by  the  hand 


Jlcirim'  Ahbci/.  3li5 

of  the  Reformer,  whose  creed  was  to  put  down  and  blot  out 
of  the  laud  pi-iestcraft  and  idolatry,  root  and  branch.  On  the 
east  side  of  the  choir  is  a  stately  window,  twenty-four  feet  in 
height,  of  which  Sir  Walter  Scott  says :  "  It  is  impossible  to  con- 
ceive a  more  beautiful  specimen  of  lightness  and  elegance  of 
Gothic  architecture  when  in  its  purity."  Indeed,  the  whole, 
with  its  arches  and  pillars,  exhibits  the  richest  tracery  and 
adornment,  and  shows  a  skill  in  sculpture  upon  which  even  six 
centuries  have  made  no  advancement.  Who  that  has  ever 
read  the  "Lay  of  the  Last  Minstrel,"  could  look  at  the  ex- 
quisitely chiseled  columns  of  this  beautiful  pile,  without  feeling 
the  full  force  of  these  lines  : 

"  The  moon  on  the  east  oriel  shone 
Through  slender  shafts  of  shapeless  stone. 
By  foliaged  tracery  combined  ; 
Thou  wouldst  have  thought  some  fairy's  Iiand, 
'Twixt  poplar  straight,  the  osier  wand, 
In  many  a  freakish  knot,  had  twined  ; 
Then  framed  a  spell,  when  the  work  was  done, 
And  changed  the  willow  wreaths  to  stone." 

Surrounding  the  Abbey  is  the  old  burying-ground,  with  its 
many  time-worn  and  letter-effaced  head-stones;  these,  with 
the  ivy-mantled  ruin  in  their  midst,  go  to  make  up  a  picture 
of  peculiar  sadness.  With  my  sunlight  view  of  the  Abbey, 
both  interior  and  exterior,  I  was  very  much  pleased  ;  but  what 
must  it  be  by  moonlight  ? 

"  If  thou  wouldst  view  fair  Melrose  aright. 
Go  visit  it  by  the  palemoonIi<;ht; 
Por  the  gay  beams  of  lightsome  day 
Gild,but  to  flout, the  ruins  gray." 
22 


i',  i 


jiii 


I  ! 


y 


i 

Hi 


fel 


w 


\\  ''^  '  ^^"^  { ^ 


?IM' 


XXXYII. 

Home  of  Sik  Walter  Scott. 

The  first  sure  symptom  of  a  mind  in  health, 

Is  rest  of  heart,  and  pleasure  felt  at  home.— rbun^. 

^^^^d-^^ '^'^'^  *^®  scenery  from  Melrose  to  Abbotsford 
^'  -^^Xff^—'^  I  was  delighted.  The  fields  on  either  side  of 
\  ;  Ai^^  -f  the  way  seemed  to  haye  clothed  themselves 
in  their  best  attire,  and  the  hedges,  made  up 
^l  of  flowering  thorn  and  wild  rose,  vied  with  each 
■  f ;  /ki-~J^ji>'  other  in  beauty.  The  oat  and  wheat-fields  were 
O  ;".o  changing  their  youthful  greenness  for  the  golden 
\B^"/-N  color  of  the  autumnal  harvest,  while  the  long  wav- 
ing grasses  of  the  meadows  whispered  their  song  of  content- 
ment, and  the  genial  winds,  laden  with  the  valley's  smiles 
and  the  breathings  of  the  opening  rose,  seemed  sweeter  than 
ever  before. 

In  ax^proaching  the  house,  its  turrets,  which  rise  above  the 
trees,  stood  full  in  view,  and  when  we  reached  the  gate  I  was 
not  a  little  surprised  to  find  several  carriages  there  waiting 
for  parties  that  were  within,  biding  their  turn  to  be  shown 
through  the  mansion. 

Abbotsford  takes  its  name  from  a  ford  over  the  river  Tweed, 
once  owned  by  abbots,  near  which  the  poet's  home  is  situated. 


328  RarnUes  throucjh  the  British  Isles. 

The  building  is  of  stone,  irregular  in  style,  and  not  so  impos- 
ing as  I  expected.  Association  lias  done  more  for  Abbotsford 
than  nature  or  art.  Around  the  front  entrance  are  many 
antique  carved  stones,  taken  from  old  castles  and  abbeys.  The 
interior  of  the  portico  is  adorned  with  the  horns  of  Highland 
stags,  and  other  symbols  of  the  chase.  The  hall  into  which 
we  were  first  shown  is  well  stocked  with  ancient  armor,  coats 
of  mail,  shields,  swords,  helmets,  and  the  banners  of  Scottish 
clans — all  of  them  bearing  a  history  and  speaking  the  lan- 
guage of  the  "  auld  time."  In  one  end  of  this  hall  stands  a 
knight  in  full  armor,  which  is  said  to  have  been  found  on  the 
field  of  Bosworth,  and  on  the  opposite  side  another,  dressed 
out  in  full  hunting  ri^.  Here  is  an  old-fashioned  grate,  once 
the  property  of  Archbishop  Sharp,  before  which  poetry  and 
romance,  as  well  as  theology  and  homiletics,  often  received- 
new  inspiration. 

Next  we  were  shown  into  the  dining-room,  in  which  are  sev- 
eral rare  pictures:  one  of  Cromwell,  said  to  be  a  correct  like- 
ness ;  one  of  Charles  XII.  of  Sweden ;  one  of  Scott's  grand- 
father, who  never  trimmed  his  beard  after  the  execution  of 
Charles  I. ;  one  of  Lord  Essex ;  and  one  of  the  head  of 
Mary  Queen  of  Scotts,  after  her  execution — from  v/hich  it  is 
said  Sir  Walter  would  never  allow  a  copy  to  be  taken.  In 
the  library  there  are  about  20,000  volumes,  all  of  which  are 
well  protected  from  the  hands  of  visitors  by  a  wire  grating. 
Here  are  several  fine  busts,  one  of  Wordsworth,  and  one  of 
Shakespeare — said  to  have  been  taken  from  his  tomb  at  Strat- 
ford— and  one  of  Sir  Walter,  speakingly  full  of  expression. 
There  is  a  bronze  cast  of  the  poet  after  his  decease,  which  is 


Home  of  iSi'r  Jl  'alter  Scott.  oli9 

not  without  merit ;  also  a  set  of  ebony  chairs  and  an  ebony- 
writing-desk,  the  gilt  of  George  IV.  On  a  little  table  stands 
a  silver  vase,  filled  with  bones  from  Pirseeus,  and  presented 
by  Lord  Byron.  In  the  cabinet  of  relics  are  to  be  seen  a 
shirt  of  mail  worn  by  Cromwell  when  reviewing  his  troops ; 
Eob  Eoy's  musket ;  Bonaparte's  pistols,  found  in  his  carriage 
after  the  battle  of  Waterloo  ;  a  hunting  flask  of  James  I. ;  and 
a  Roman  kettle,  supposed  to  have  been  made  long  before  the 
birth  of  Christ.  But  time  and  space  forbid  my  noticing  the 
many 

'•  Auld  nick-nackets, 
Rusty  airn  caps,  and  jingling  jackets 
Would  hold  the  croudai-s  there  in  tacketa 

A  towmond  gude, 
And  parritch-pats,  and  auld  saut  lackets 
Afore  the  flude." 

From  the  library  we  passed  into  a  room,  not  quite  half  as 
large — this  is  his  study.  The  walls  are  well  filled  with  books, 
and  around  the  whole  is  a  small  gallery  and  a  private  stair- 
case, by  which  he  was  wont  to  come  from  his  bed,  or  dressing- 
room,  without  having  to  pass  through  any  of  the  other  apart- 
ments. 

It  was  when  referring  to  this  stairway  he  told  the  Duchess 
of  Saint  Albans  that  he  could  go  into  his  study  and  work  and 
write  as  much  as  he  pleased  "without  one's  being  the  wiser 
for  it."  "  That,"  she  replied,  "is  impossible!"  This  was  a 
compliment  most  fitting,  and  certainly  not  unappreciated  by 
Sir  Walter.  Here,  too,  is  the  desk  on  which  he  wrote,  and  by 
it  the  old  leather-covered  arm-chair  in  which  he  was  wont  to 
sit,  and  from  which  he  stretched  out  his  scepter  over  ail  lands 


330  Rambles  through  the  British  Isles. 

and  all  time !  Scott  was  truly  a  great  man,  a  gift  to  tbe 
world  for  whicli  centuries  yet  unborn  will  be  glad  !  His  pow- 
er of  description  is  unequaled  ;  his  delineations  of  landscape 
and  character  almost  perfect ;  his  specimens  of  moral  painting 
— as  in  the  sin  and  suffering  of  Constance,  the  remorse  of 
Marmion  and  Bertram — are  equal,  if  not  superior,  to  anything 
ever  written.  But  in  no  one,  nor  all  of  these  taken  together, 
does  his  greatness  so  much  appear  as  in  his  upright  character. 
"  His  behavior  through  life  was  marked  by  understanding,  in- 
tegrity, and  purity,  insomuch  that  no  scandalous  whisper  was 
ever  yet  circulated  against  him.  The  traditionary  recollec- 
tion of  his  early  life  is  burdened  with  no  stain  of  any  sort. 
His  character  as  a  husband  and  father  is  altogether  irreproach- 
able. Indeed,  in  no  single  relation  of  life  does  it  appear  that 
he  ever  incurred  the  least  blame.  His  good  sense  and  good 
feeling,  united  with  an  early  religious  training,  appear  to  have 
guided  him  aright  through  all  the  difficulties  and  temptations 
of  life  ;  and  even  as  a  politician,  though  blamed  by  many  for 
■his  exclusive  sympathy  in  the  cause  of  established  rule,  he  was 
always  acknowledged  to  be  too  benevolent  and  too  unobtru- 
sive to  call  for  severe  censure.  Along  with  the  most  perfect 
uprightness  of  conduct,  he  was  characterized  by  extraordinary 
simplicity  of  manners.  He  was  invariably  gracious  and  kind, 
and  it  was  impossible  ever  to  detect  in  his  conversation  a 
symptom  of  his  grounding  the  slightest  title  to  consideration 
upon  his  literary  falne,  or  his  even  being  conscious  of  it." 

In  1811,  when  he  purchased  one  hundred  acres  of  moor 
land  on  the  banks  of  the  Tweed,  it  was  without  any  attrac- 
tions ;  the  neighborhood,  true,  had  many  historic  associations. 


Home  of  Sir  Jf'al/ir  Scott.         '  ^31 

but  the  situation  was  auj'-tliing  but  inviting.  So  that  this 
haunt  of  the  pilgrim,  with  its  shady  grove  and  open  lawn, 
its  romantic  walks  and  flowering  dells,  is  but  the  creation  of 
the  poet's  genius.  Indeed,  he  has  thrown  a  charm  around 
every  place  he  touched,  and  filled  with  interest  every  object 
which  he  described.  Under  bis  pen,  lake  and  valley,  crag 
and  cave,  castle  and  ruin,  church  and  abbey,  once*  void  of 
name  and  fame,  are  now  eagerly  sought  after  by  tourists,  from 
all  parts  of  the  world. 

Scotland  to-day  would  not  have  so  much  sunshine,  and  cer- 
tainly less  melody,  had  not  Scott  been  born  ;  and  many  parts 
of  it  would  be  lacking  in  interest,  had  not  he  touched  them 
'into  beauty  by  his  magic  wand. 

Abbotsford  appears  still  to  live  in  the  presence  of  its  former 
master  ;  the  very  air  seems  calmer  than  other  places ;  yea, 
the  groves  and  lawns  look  as  if  in  communion  with  the  de- 
parted spirit,  and  even  the  Tweed,  with  its  laughing,  spark- 
ling current,  here  pauses  to  kiss  the  pebbled  shore  with  dove- 
like fondness. 

"  Call  it  not  vain ;  they  do  not  err 
Who  say,  that  when  the  poet  dies, 

Mute  nature  mourns  her  -worshiper. 
And  celebrates  his  obsequies  ; 

Who  say  tall  cliff  and  cavern  lone 

For  the  departed  bard  make  moan; 

That  mountains  weep  in  crystal  rill ; 

That  flowers  in  tears  of  balm  distill ; 

Through  his  loved  groves  that  breezes  sigh, 

And  oaks,  in  deeper  groans,  reply, 

And  rivers  teach  their  rushing  wave 

To  murmur  dirges  round  his  grave.'' 


Hl&HLWDEr    AND   HI&    COMrOrTER 


XXXVIII. 

Scotland  and  the  Scotch. 

Oh,  we  have  wandered  far  and  wide 
O'er  Scotia's  land  of  firth  and  fell,. 
And  many  a  lovely  spot  we've  seen 
By  mountain  hoar  and  flowering  dell.— ^Inoji. 

^;o.^^°>^^E'W  nations  have  so  much  romance,  chivalry 
^1^^^  and  song  in  their  history  as  Scotland,  and 
^¥^J^i'jJ/F(p  110  0^6  at  all  conversant  with  the  past,  can 
io^i^t^^Pi^^  travel  through  her  highlands  and  lowlands 
without  peculiar  emotions.  Her  hills  and  dales, 
■'^  hikes  and  rivers,  are  all  identified  with  the 
most  thrilling  tales  of  bygone  days.  All  her  fields 
are  rich  in  heroic  action,  and  for  firm  conviction, 
unflinching  faith,  and  valiant  suffering  her  sons  take  a  front 
rank  in  the  world's  history. 


Scot/diid  (Hid  the  Scotch.  V>)Vi 

Scotland  is  composed  of  three  great  divisions,  the  High- 
lands, the  Lowlands,  and  the  Islands ;  tho  whole  comprising 
an  area  of  thirty-one  thousand  three  hundred  and  twenty - 
four  square  miles.  Her  population  for  18G8  was  about  three 
and  one-half  mill  ions,  only  a  little  more  than  half  the  popu- 
lation of  Ireland.  Her  mountains  are  jagged  and  heatli- 
covered,  and  there  is  scarcely  any  section  of  the  country  from 
which  they  may  not  be  seen  looming  up.  Her  rivers  are 
numerous,  though  but  few  of  them  are  large,  and  none  are 
navigable  above  their  estuaries  save  the  Clyde.  Her  lakes,  or 
loughs,  as  they  are  called,  are  picturesque  and  mostly  scattered 
among  the  glens  of  the  Highlands.  Some  of  them  are  noted 
for  their  beauty,  but  the  majority  for  their  utility,  affording 
great  supplies  of  fish,  and  employment  for  a  large  number  of 
her  sons  and  daughters. 

The  climate  of  Scotland  is  extremely  variable,  more  so  than 
that  of  England  or  Ireland,  and  the  annual  temperature 
ranges  from  forty-five  to  fifty  degrees. 

Tho  agricultural  productions  of  Scotland  are  very  similar  to 
those  of  England.  Oats,  wheat,  peas  and  beans  are  raised  in 
great  abundance,  but  of  these  the  most  prevalent  crop  is  oats. 
This  is  the  staff  of  life,  and  the  red  of  strife  for  the  lower 
classes.  It  fiirnishes  them  with  bread,  while  at  the  same  time 
from  it  is  prepared  the  cup  of  death,  all,  or  most  all,  of  the 
whiskey  and  ale  drank  being  brewed  from  malt  made  of  this 
grain. 

It  may  be  safely  said  that  agriculture  in  Scotland  is  in  ad- 
vahce  of  England,  and  yet  the  soil  of  the  former  is  in  general 
poorer  than  that,  of  the  latter,  but  the  Scotch  have  sliown 


334  Ramllcs  through  the  British  Isles. 

tlieir  skill  in  bringing  it  up  to  such  a  state,  that  it  produces 
crops  more  abundant  than  either  England  or  Ireland. 

The  commerce  of  Scotland  is  about  equal  to  that  of  Ireland; 
her  exports  consist  chiefly  of  the  products  of  the  land,  the 
water  and  her  manufactories ;  but  to  enter  into  a  summaiy 
would  be  to  write  a  list  long,  tasteless  and  tiresome. 

Scotland  is  a  religious  nation.  The  National  Church  is  Pres- 
byterian, from  which  there  are  two  seceding  bodies  called 
the  Free  and  the  United  Presbyterians.  "  The  principles  of 
the  latter  body  are  opposed  to  state  establishments,  while  the 
members  of  the  Free  Church,  although  in  practice  Noncon- 
formists, admit  the  lawfulness  of  State  Churches,  and  object 
to  be  classed  as  voluntaries  on  principle. 

If  a  union  could  be  effected  between  these  three  great  re- 
ligious bodies,  the  external  religious  unity  of  Scotland  would 
be  very  nearly  complete;  the  Anglican  Church,  who  are  Dis- 
senters north  of  the  Tweed,  and  the  Eoman  Catholics  form- 
ing only  a  small,  though  without  doubt,  a  wealthy  and  influ- 
ential part  of  the  population.  From  the  report  of  the  pro- 
ceedings of  the  Free  Church  Assembly,  we  learn  that  the 
number  of  ministers  in  full  position  is  seven  hundred  and  forty. 
The  Sustentation  Fund  is  supported  by  all  the  congregations, 
and  gurantees  to  each  clergyman  a  minimum  income  of  £150 
a  year,  the  manse  being  in  addition.  The  effect  of  this  ar- 
rangement is,  that  if  a  congregation  cannot  raise  £loO  a 
year,  they  are  entitled  to  draw  from  the  General  Fund  such  an 
amount  as  will  raise  the  pastor's  income  to  that  sum.  On  the 
other  hand,  if  the  congregation  subscribes  more  than  £150, 
the  minister  receives  an  agreed  proportion  of  the  surplus." 


Scotland  (Old  the  Scotch.  335 

The  Free  Church  is  supported  by  the  same  moilo  as  tlio 
Wesleyan,  by  the  free-will  offerings  of  her  children. 

At  the  last  Geuerul  Assembly  of  the  Established  Kirk,  Dr. 
Norman  Macleod,  the  Moderator,  made  a  speech  on  the  Es- 
ta\)lishment  question  as  connected  with  his  own  Church.  Ho 
believed  there  were  many  who  desired  its  downfall.  "  The 
United  Presbyterians  desired  it  because  it  was  a  State 
Establishment;  the  Free  Church  desired  it  because  it  was 
Erastian  ;  the  Anglican  Church  desired  it  because  in  the 
High  Church  view,  at  least,  it  had  neither  true  ministers  nor 
Talid  sacraments.  It  is  odd  enough  that  in  this  island  of 
Britain  there  should  be  two  Protestant  Established  Churches, 
and  that  one  should  utterly  ignore  the  ministry  of  the  othei*. 
"We  really  cannot  say  what  fi-ightful  consequences  would  fol- 
low if  Dr.  Macleod  were  to  preach  in  an  Anglican  Church. 
It  is  true  that  he  is  a  domestic  chaplain  to  the  Queen,  who 
is  also  head  of  the  English  Church  ;  that  he  is  raised,  and  de- 
servedly so,  to  the  highest  position  which  the  Scottish  Estab- 
lishment has  to  confer  ;  that  in  learning  and  orthodoxy,  in 
ability  and  piety,  he  is  not  inferior  to  the  celebrities  of  the 
Anglican  Church.  But  what  avails  all  this  so  long  as  he  is 
outside  the  pale  of  the  apostolical  succession  ?  Humble  folk 
among  the  Nonconformists  of  England  are  apt  to  suppose 
that  the  reason  why  the  Anglican  clergy  ignore  Dissenters  is 
because  they  are  a  State  Church,  while  Dissenters  are  not. 
But  if  they  reflect  upon  the  case  of  the  Scotch  Establishment, 
they  will  see  that  it  is  not  so.  Dr.  Macleod  and  his  reverend 
brethern  are  ministers  of  a  Church  which  is  as  much  es- 
tablished by  law  as  the  Church  of  England,  and  yet  not  one 


336  Rambles  througli  the  British  Isles. 

of  them  can  be  permitted  to  minister  at  an  Anglican  altar  or 
preach  from  an  Anglican  pulpit.  It  is  not,  after  all,  social 
pride,  but  an  ecclesiastical  heresy,  which  lies  at  the  root  of 
this  exclusiveness — that  Eomish  heresy  of  apostolical  succes- 
sion, upon  which,  whether  her  clergy  as  individuals  believe  it 
or  not,  the  Church  of  England  acts  with  a  relentless  and  sui- 
cidal persistency." 

One  of  the  most  important  questions  discussed  during  the 
session  was  Church  Patronage.  By  this  the  pulpits  of  the  Es- 
tablishment are  iilled  by  the  will  of  a  few  patrons,  and  not  by 
the  people.  So  when  a  minister  dies,  or  removes  from  his  people, 
his  place  is  filled  not  by  the  choice  of  the  church,  or  congre- 
gation, but  by  some  one  who  has  acquired  a  legal  right  to  be- 
stow the  favor  upon  whomsoever  he  or  she  will,  and  the  church 
has  no  lot  or  part  in  the  matter — save  submission !  Some  of 
these  patronages  belong  to  the  Queen,  some  to  Episcopalians, 
some  to  Eomanist  and  some  to  infidels  and  lunatics.  How 
so  many  of  the  people  have  borne  so  long  with  this  most 
arbitrary  infringement  of  sacred  rites  is  perfectly  unaccounta- 
ble !  But  the  signs  of  the  times  are  hopeful.  "  By  a  majority 
of  193  to  88,  the  AssemUy  declared  in  favor  of  the  aloUtion  of 
patronage,  and  recommended  that  the  election  of  ministers  be 
vested  in  the  heritors,  elders,  and  male  communicants.  By 
this  step  the  Scotch  Establishment  has  possibly  delayed  the 
date  of  its  own  downfall.  Its  leading  men  are  wise  enough 
to  learn  the  lesson  taught  by  current  events,  and  to  adapt 
their  institutions  to  the  exigencies  of  the  times.  By  this  act, 
also,  the  Church  has  brought  itself  nearer  to  the  non-estab- 
lished  forms  of  Presbyterianism.     But  whether  Parliament 


Svothtnd  and  the  Scotch.  ;-J;]7 

will  sanction  this  cliango,  or  whether  the  House  of  Commons 
may  defer  it  on  the  ground  that  the  whole  question  of  the  Scot- 
tish Establishment  may  shortly  have  to  come  forward,  is  more 
than  we  can  say.  It  is  by  no  means  impossible  that  this  res- 
olution may  prove  to  be  the  first  step  in  a  series  of  important 
changes  which  may  issue  in  numbering  the  Scottish  Establish- 
ment with  the  institutions  of  the  past." 

This  was  the  question  which  caused  the  secession  of  tlie 
Free  Church  branch  about  forty  year^  ago.  The  preaching  of 
"Wesley  and  "Whitefield  awoke  to  life  even  in  Scotland  the 
clergy  and  laity.  The  spirit  of  John  Knox  was  again  revived, 
and  many  of  the  churches  refused  to  accept  the  pastors  which 
were  chosen  for  them  by  the  patrons.  They  fell  back  upon  the 
authority  of  the  first  Book  of  Discipline,  that  was  drawn  up 
by  John  Knox  and  four  other  distinguished  Eeformers,  which 
says  :  "  It  appertaineth  to  the  people  and  to  every  several 
congregation,  to  elect  their  minister  ;  and  it  is  altogether  to 
be  avoided,  that  any  man  be  violently  intruded  or  thrust  in 
upon  any  congregation  ;  but  this  liberty,  with  all  care,  may 
be  reserved  for  every  several  church  to  have  their  votes  and 
suffrages  in  election  of  their  ministers."  And  to  such  a  pitch 
did  the  opposition  rise  th;it  on  several  instances  the  govern- 
ment had  to  send  a,  detachment  of  soldiers  to  enforce  the  in- 
stallation of  a  pastor.  Kever  was  there  anything  so  prepos- 
terous in  all  the  records  of  Protestant  Christendom.  And  yet 
from,  these  harsh  measures  good  results  were  brought  about. 
They  only  added  fuel  to  the  flame  already  kindled,  and 
brought  out  more  clearly  than  ever  before,  the  fact,  that  ac- 
cording to  the  teachings  of  the  Now  Testament   the  will  of 


338  Ramhles  through  the  British  Isles. 

the  people  ought  to  be  dominant  in  calling  the  preacher. 
Therefore  in  General  Assembly  it  was  resolved  not  to  allow 
patrons  to  force  upon  the  people  such  pastors  as  they  might 
select.  But  this  was  overthrown  when  it  came  before  the 
House  of  Lords  and  the  decision  given,  "  That  the  civil  courts 
can  control,  forbid,  and  command  the  spiritual  courts  in  all 
spiritual  things  ;  ordination,  preaching,  sacraments,  and  ex- 
communication." This  was  too  much  for  the  true  spiritual 
men  of  the  establishment,  and  they  could  no  longer  stay  in  a 
Church  which  placed  the  voice  of  the  Lord-Chancellor  above 
that  of  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ. 

On  this  question  Jir.e  hundred  clergymen  sacrificed  their  en- 
dowments rather  than  their  principles.  For  freedom  of  con- 
science and  to  worship  God  after  the  teachings  of  the  New 
Testament,  they  were  willing  to  exchange  manses  for  huts, 
to  bid  farewell  to  the  graves  of  their  children  and  the  lands 
of  their  sires,  not  because  they  could  not  do  otherwise,  but  for 
the  sake  of  a  principle  which  unites  the  beauty  of  Christian 
holiness  with  the  highest  interests  of  human  civilization. 
"  True  Freedom  is  where  no  restraint  is  known 
That  Scripture,  justice,  and  good  sense  disown." 

This  is  true  in  all  civil  and  religious  interests,  and  for  all 
peoples.  "  It  is  a  broad,  a  universal,  a  Catholic  principle — 
as  old  as  Christianity  itself,  and  held  as  a  glorious,  and  all-im- 
portant doctrine  by  all  the  sincere  men  who  have  ever  labor- 
ed or  suffered  for  Christ.  Paschal  the  Third  wished  to  give 
up  his  endowments  for  it  a  thousand  years  ago.  But  it  is  not 
a  principle  peculiar  to  Christians.  It  is  dear  to  all  who  love 
to  be  spiritually  free.     A  Comte  can  contend  for  it  as  well  as 


Scothmd  ,oid  the  Scotch.  339 

a  Chalmers.  That  tbo  moral  and  spiritual  theory  by  which  a 
man  is  to  guide  himself  in  life,  shall  not  be  a  proscription  of 
statecraft,  but  the  adoptioil  of  a  free  and  earnest  soul — this 
is  the  very  vital  idea  of  all  individual  and  social  civilization. 
It  is  the  first  want  of  clear  spirits.  Nor  is  the  importance  or 
the  nobleness  of  the  principle  lessened  by  the  fact  that  in  the 
case  of  the  herd  of  men  it  can  mean  only  a  liberty  to  choose 
among  the  creeds  which  other  and  abler  men  draw  up.  Gen- 
ius alone  can  enjoy  aught  of  the  highest  freedom  of  soul. 
Gcidus  alone  can  attempt  that  work  of  fear — asking  the  uni- 
verse questions  respecting  the  great  spirit  of  it.  But  the  free- 
dom— the  independence — is  for  all.  The  spiritual  views  of 
genius  ought  to  be  free  for  the  sake  of  human  advancement. 
All  men  ought  to  be  free  in  sj)iritual  affairs,  because  whenever 
they  are  in  earnest  in  them  they  will  be  free  or  die.'' 

God  has  set  his  seal  of  approbation  upon  this  freedom  of 
thought  and  action,  for  since  the  disruption  of  the  Established 
Church,  those  who  left  her  have  more  than  doubled  in  num- 
ber and  power,  and  in  aggressive  movement  they  have  far  out- 
stripped the  endowed  churches.  They  have  carried  the  Gospel 
into  the  remotest  parts  of  Scotland,  and  they  are  to-day  sup- 
plying the  spiritual  wants  of  the  Highlands  and  the  islands, 
where  the  Established  Church  is  little  more  than  a  name. 

Temperance  in  Scotland  is  the  exception — interivperance  the 
rule.  Here  all  classes  drink,  the  men  and  the  women,  the 
clergy  and  the  people  !  Not  long  ago  a  minister  who  was  in 
the  habit  of  taking  occasionally  just  enough  to  unfit  him  for 
his  pulpit  labors,  was  summoned  before  his  presbytery  for  this 
misdemeanor ;  one  of  his  elders,  the  constant  participator  in 


340  RamhJes  throurjh  the  British  Isles. 

his  drunken  revels,  was  summoned  to  appear  as  a  Avitness 
against  him,     "  "Weel,  John,"  said  a  member  of  the  reverend 

court,  "  did  you  ever  see  Mr.  C the  worse  for  drink  ?  " 

"  Weel,  I  wat,  no,"  answered  John  ;  "  I've  mony  a  time  seen 
him  the  better  o't,  but  never  seen  him  the  waur  o't."  "  But 
did  you  never  see  him  drunk  ?  "  "  That's  what  I'll  never 
see,"  replied  the  elder;  "  for  lang  before  he's  half  sloakened, 
I'm  aye  Uind  foue?''  And  yet,  sad  as  this  state  of  affairs  is, 
the  Scotch  are  not  so  intemperate  now,  as  they  were  a  few 
years  ago.  From  good  authority  it  appears  that  there  has 
been  a  decreased  consumption  since  1854,  when  the  Forbes 
Mackenzie  Act  came  into  operation,  of  no  less  than  2,036,924 
gallons  per  annum,  being  about  thirty  per  cent. 

But  this  comparison  does  not  sufficiently  indicate  the  favor- 
able change  which  has  taken  place  in  the  habits  of  the  peo- 
ple. "During  the  last  fifteen  years  the  population  must  luive 
increased  at  least  ten  per  cent. ;  and  hence  if  no  such  change 
had  taken  place  the  quantity  consumed  would  have  been  ten 
per  cent,  greater  than  during  the  average  of  the  first  period  of 
four  years,  or  7,606,599  gallons.  And  the  consumption  during 
the  average  of  the  last  period  of  four  years  being  only  4,878,166 
gallons,  the  comparative  decrease  is  2,728,433  gallons,  or  nearly 
forty  per  cent.  In  the  city  of  Edinburgh  the  closing  of  the 
public  houses  on  Sundays  has  caused  quite  a  social  revolution 
in  favor  of  sobriety  on  Sundays.  According  to  police  statistics, 
published  by  the  city  magistrates,  it  appears  that  since  1853 
the  cases  of  drunk eness  taken  up  on  all  the  days  of  the  week 
had  diminished  from  5,727  to  2,313  ;  the  number  during  Sun- 
days from  729  to  223 ;  and  the  number  from  eight  o'clock  on 


Scotland  and  the  Scotch.  o\\ 

Sunday  mornings  to  eight  o'clock  on  Monday  mornings  from 
401  in  1852,  to  42  in  18G6.  The  price  of  whiskey  has  been  con- 
siderably increased  since  the  act  came  into  operation,  owing  to 
successive  advances  in  the  amount  of  the  excise  duty ;  and  no 
doubt,  on  the  well-known  principles  of  political  economy,  tho 
higher  price  must  to  some  extent  have  diminished  the  sale  of 
the  article.  But  from  all  inquiries  I  have  made  I  am  satis- 
fied that  the  diminution  caused  by  the  high  price  has  not 
been  nearly  equal  to  that  caused  by  the  closing  of  the  public 
houses  on  Sundays  ;  for  all  parties  in  Scotland  are  agreed,  so 
far  as  I  know,  in  opinion  that  more  spirits  were  formerly  con- 
sumed on  Sundays  than  any  other  day  of  the  week  ;  and  that, 
in  very  many  cases,  the  drinking  which  commenced  on  Sun- 
days was  continued  on  the  Mondays,  and  thus  prevented  pai-- 
ties  from  going  back  to  their  wQrk.  The  Sunday  closing  has 
then  indirectly  also  diminished  the  consumption  on  Mondays ; 
and  this  fact,  of  course,  partly  accounts  for  the  large  decrease 
since  the  act  came  into  operation  in  1854." 

In  these  facts  there  is  a  lesson  for  all  who  love  temperance 
and  good  order.  It  is  just  this — if  by  the  partial  enforce- 
ment  of  prohibitoiy  measures  intemperance  has  been  abated 
in  Scotland,  the  same  results,  by  the  same  measures,  can  be 
brought  about  in  other  lands.  If  a  prohibitory  law  will  work 
well  in  Scotland,  it  will  work  well  anywhere  else.  For  next 
to  the  Irish,  the  Scotch  are  the  most  ardent  lovers  of  drink  in 
the  world.  A  Highlander  was  once  asked  what  he  would 
wish  to  have,  if  some  kind  divinity  would  give  him  the  three 
things  he  liked  best.     For  the  first  he  said,  he  should  ask  for 

"  a  Loch  Lomond  o'  gude  whiskey !  "     "  And  for  the  second  ?  " 
23 


342  Huoilks  throu(/h  the  British  Ides. 

inquired  his  friend.  "  A  Ben  Lomond  o'  gude  sneeshin,"  re- 
plied Donald.  "And  for  the  third?"  He  hesitated  for  a 
long  time  at  this ;  but  at  last,  after  his  face  had  assumed 
many  contortive  expressions  of  thought,  he  answered,  "  Ou, 
just  anither  Loch  Lomond  o'  gude  whiskey."  At  a  great  tem- 
perance meeting,  held  not  long  ago  in  Belfast,  Ireland,  Dr. 
Guthrie,  whose  name  is  in  all  our  homes,  stated  that  he  was 
converted  to  temperance  by  the  example  of  an  Irishman.  "  I 
was  first  led,"  he  says,  "  to  form  a  high  opinion  of  the  cause 
of  temperance  by  the  bearing  of  an  Irishman.  It  is  now,  let 
me  see,  some  twenty  years  since  I  first  opened  my  mouth  in 
the  town  of  BeKast.  Having  left  Belfast  and  gone  round  to 
Omagh,  I  left  that  town  on  a  bitter,  biting,  blasting,  raining 
day,  cold  as  death,  lashing  rain,  and  I  had  to  travel,  I  remem- 
ber, across  a  cold  country  to  Cookstown.  Well,  by  the  time 
we  got  over  half  the  road,  we  reached  a  sort  of  inn.  By  this 
time  we  were  soaking  with  water  outside,  and  as  these  were 
the  days  of  toddy  drinking,  we  thought  the  best  way  was  to 
soak  ourselves  with  whiskey  inside.  Accordingly  we  rushed 
into  the  inn,  and  ordered  warm  water,  and  we  got  our  tumblers 
of  toddy.  Out  of  kindness  to  the  cab-driver  we  called  him  in. 
He  was  not  very  well  clothed — indeed,  he  rather  belonged 
in  that  respect  to  the  order  of  my  ragged  school  in  Edinburgh. 
He  was  soaking  with  wet,  and  we  offered  him  a  good  rummer 
of  toddy.  He  would  not  taste  it.  '  Why,'  we  asked,  ♦  will 
you  not  taste  it ?  What  objection  have  you  ? '  'Why,' said 
he,  'please  your  reverence,  I  am  a  teetdtaUr,  and  I  won't 
taste  a  drop  of  it.'  Now  that  was  the  declaration  of  the  hum- 
ble, uneducated  Eoman  Catholic  cabman.     It  went  to  my 


Scotland  and  the  JScotch.  343 

heart  and  went  to  my  conscience  ;  and  I  said,  if  that  man  can 
deny  himself  this  indulgence,  not  for  his  own  sake,  but  for  the 
sake  of  others,  why  should  not  I,  a  Christian  minister  ?  I 
felt  that  I  remembered  that,  and  hav.e  ever  remembered  it  to 
the  honor  of  Ireland.  I  have  often  told  the  story,  and  thought 
of  the  example  set  by  that  poor  Irishman  for  our  people  to 
follow.  I  carried  home  the  remembrance  of  it  with  me  to 
Edinburgh.  That  circumstance,  along  with  the  scenes  in 
which  I  was  called  to  labor  daily  for  years,  made  me  a  teeto- 
taler. I  wish,  ladies  and  gentlemen,  that  you  should  under- 
stand the  ground  on  which  I  stand.  There  are  two  parties 
engaged  in  the  total  abstinence  cause.  We  work  to  the  same 
end,  though  we  do  not  exactly  embrace  the  same  principles. 
I  wish  everything  to  be  aboveboard.  I  do  not  agree  with  my 
friends  of  the  total  abstinence  cause,  who  think  that  in  the 
use  of  these  stimulants  there  is  anything  absolutely  sinful. 
No ;  it  is  on  the  principle  of  Christian  expediency  I  am  a 
teetotaler.  I  don't  quarrel  with  those  who,  as  the  Americans 
say,  '  go  the  whole  hog.'  I  don't  see  why  we  should  quarrel. 
We  may  be  on  different  rails,  but  the  terminus  is  the  same. 
This  is  the  ground  I  stand  on.  I  was  driven  to  that  ground 
h.y  the  feeling  that  if  I  were  to  cultivate  what  Dr.  Chalmers 
called  the  outfields,  if  I  were  to  bless  humanity,  if  I  were  to 
win  sinners  to  the  Saviour's  feet,  if  I  were  to  bviild  up  souls 
from  the  wrecks  of  the  Cowgate  and  the  Grassmarket  of  Edin- 
burgh, I  must  become  a  total  abstainer.  I  felt  it  necessary 
that  these  poor  people  should  abstain,  otherwise  they  could 
never  be  reformed — that  drink  was  the  stone  between  the 
living  and  the  dead,  and  that  stone  must  be  rolled  away. 


344  Samiles  through  the  British  Isles. 

It  was  the  demon  that  met  me  at  every  path."  Dr.  Guthrie 
having  stated  that,  according  to  his  experience,  the  vice  of 
drunkeness  prevailed  less  in  the  upper  than  in  the  middle  and 
lower  classes  of  society,  entered  into  a  lengthened  and  elo- 
quent explanation  of  the  great  service  renderedto'  Scotland  by 
the  operation  of  Forbes  Mackenzie's  Act,  and  concluded  his 
address  as  follows:"-!  am  one  of  the  few  total  abstinence 
ministers  in  Edinburgh.  I  am  a  total  abstainer  on  principle, 
and  I  am  bound  to  say  it,  that  I  do  as  much  work  upon  water 
as  any  man  on  Avine,  and  far  more  than  many  of  my  brethren 
do  on  wine.  I  have  tried  wine,  and  I  have  tried  water.  I 
am  far  healthier  on  water  than  I  was  on  wine.  My  adage  is, 
and  I  want  that  to  be  the  adage  of  every  man — '  "Water,  wa- 
ter everywhere,  and  not  a  drop  of  drink.'  Since  I  became  a 
total  abstainer  my  head  is  clearer,  my  health  hals  been  stronger, 
my  heart  has  been  lighter,  and  my  purse  has  been  heavier; 
and  if  these  are  not  four  good  reasons  for  becoming  a  total 
abstainer,  I  have  not  a  word  more  to  say  on  behalf  of  total  ab- 
stience." 

The  Scotch,  as  a  people,  are  more  intelligent  than  the  Eng- 
lish or  the  Irish.  This  is  but  the  result  of  the  common- 
school  system,  which  had  its  birth  in  Scotland  as  early  as  the 
Eeformation.  For  before  that  period,  when  under  the  Romish 
yoke,  they  were  as  deeply  sunk  in  ignorance  as  any  of  the 
sister  kingdoms. 

In  the  year  1560  John  Knox,  assisted  by  Douglas,  Willeck, 
Spottiswood  aad  others,  drew  up  the  following,  which  was 
adopted  : 

"  Seeing  that  God  has  determined  that  his  kirk  here  on 


Scotland  and  the  Scotch.  345 

earth  sliall  be  taught,  not  by  angels,  but  by  men  ;  and  seeint^ 
that  men  are  born  ignorant  of  God  and  godliness  ;  and  see- 
ing, also,  that  he  ceases  to  illuminate  men  miraculously,  of 
necessity  it  is,  that  your  honors  be  most  careful  for  the  virtu- 
ous education,  and  godly  bringing  up  of  the  youth  of  this 
realm.  For,  as  they  must  succeed  us,  so  we  ought  to  be  care- 
ful that  they  have  knowledge  and  erudition  to  profit  and 
comfort  that  which  ought  to  be  most  dear  to  us,  to  wit,  the 
kirk  and  spouse  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ.  Of  necessity, 
therefore,  we  judge  it,  that  every  several  kirk  have  one 
school-master  appointed  ;  such  an  one  at  least,  as  is  able  to 
teach  grammar  and  the  Latin  tongue,  if  the  town  be  of  any 
reputation.  And  further,  we  think  it  expedient,  that  in  every 
notable  town  there  should  be  erected  a  college,  in  which  the 
arts,  at  least  of  rhetoric  and  logic,  together  with  the  tongues, 
be  read,  by  sufficient  masters,  for  whom  honest  stipends  must 
be  appointed  ;  as  also  that  provision  be  made  for  those  that 
are  poor,  and  not  able,  by  themselves  or  their  friends,  to  bo 
sustained  at  letters. 

"  The  rich  and  potent  may  not  be  permitted  to  suffer  their 
children  to  spend  their  youth  in  a  vain  idleness,  as  heretofore 
they  have  done  ;  but  they  must  be  exhorted,  and  by  the  cen- 
sure of  the  kirk  compelled  to  dedicate  their  sons  by  good 
exercises  to  the  profit  of  the  kirk  and  commonwealth  ;  and 
this  they  must  do,  because  they  are  able.  The  children  of  the 
poor  must  he  supported  and  sustained  on  the  charge  of  the 
kirk,  trial  being  taken  whether  the  spirit  of  docility  be  in 
them  or  not.  If  they  be  found  apt  to  learning  and  letters, 
they  may  not  be   permitted   to  reject  learning,  but  must  be 


346  Ramhles  through  the  British  Isles. 

charged  to  continue  their  study,  so  that  the  commonwealth 
may  have  some  comfort  by  them.  And  for  this  purpose  must 
discreet,  grave,  and  learned  men  be  appointed  to  visit  schools, 
for  the  trial  of  their  exercise,  profit,  and  continuance ;  to  wit, 
the  ministers  and  elders,  with  the  best  learned  men  in  every 
town.  A  certain  time  must  be  appointed  to  reading  and  the 
catechism,  and  a  certain  time  to  grammar  and  the  Latin 
tongue,  and  a  certain  time  to  the  arts  of  philosophy  and  the 
other  tongues,  and  a  certain  time  to  that  study  in  which  they 
intend  chiefly  to  travel  for  the  profit  of  the  commonwealth, 
which  time  having  expired,  the  children  should  either  pro- 
ceed to  farther  knowledge,  or  else  they  must  be  set  to  some 
handicraft  or  some  other  profitable  exercise." 

This  is  a  most  remarkable  document  to  be  drawn  up  at  so 
early  a  date.  It  was  this,  more  than  anything  else,  which 
made  the  Scotch  what  they  are  to-day — the  most  thoughtful 
and  intelligent  of  British  subjects. 

How  could  they  be  otherwise  than  enlightened,  when 
"every  parish  had  a  minister,  every  village  a  school,  and 
every  family  a  Bible."  Thus  the  people  were  raised,  reformed, 
and  set  free  from  spiritual  bondage.  From  Scotland's  School 
System,  her  early  catechising  of  the  young  in  the  doctrines  of 
the  Church,  and  the  general  characteristics  of  her  people  I  do 
not  for*a  moment  hesitate  to  call  her  the  "  New  England" 
of  the  British  Isles ! 

The  feamnlry  of  Scotland  still  retain  many  traits  of  charac- 
ter essentially  Scotch.  No  people  in  the  world  can  beat  them 
for  coolness  and  deliberation.  An  almost  incredible  story, 
which  well  illustrates  their  tranquillity,  is  told  of  a  Scotch- 


Scotland  and  the  Scotch.  347 

man's  tumbling  from  one  of  tbo  loftiest  houses  in  tbo  old 
town  of  Edinburgh.  He  slipped,  it  is  said,  oif  thcj  roof  of  a 
habitation  sixteen  stories  liigh ;  and  •when  midway  in  his 
descent  through  the  air,  he  arrived  at  a  lodger  looking  out  of 
the  window  of  the  eighth  floor,  to  whom  (as  ho  was  an  old 
acquaintance)  he  observed  enpassant,  "  Eh,  Sandy,  mon  !  sic  a 
fa'  as  I  shall  ha'e  ! " 

They  are  not  a  changealle  people,  they  reach  thoir  conclu- 
sions slowly ;  but  when  there,  there  your  will  ever  find  them 
fixed,  settled,  immovable.  An  old  Scotchman  used  to  say,  "  I 
am  open  to  conviction  ;  but  I'd  like  to  see  the  man  that  could 
convince  me."  Old  Minister  Wells,  the  predecessor  of  the  Rev. 
Dr.  Storrs,  of  Braintree,  Mass.,  himself  a  Scotchman,  used  to 
say :  "It  behooveth  a  Scotchman  to  be  right ;  for  if  he  be  wrong, 
he  will  be  forever  and  eternally  wrong."  They  are  strong  in 
their  attachment  to  their  own  2}cojjle  and  country.  "  Thomson  !  ye 
maun  be  a  Scot,  Thomson,  I'll  warrant,"  said  Wilkie  to  Henry 
Thomson,  as  they  sat  for  the  first  time  'at  an  academy  dinner. 
"  I'm  of  that  ilk,  sir,"  was  his  reply  ;  "  my  father  was  a  Scotch- 
man." "Was  he  really?"  exclaimed  Wilkie,  grasping  the 
other's  hand  quite  brotherly;  "  and  my  mother  was  Irish  !  " 
"  Ay,  a/;  was  she  really  ?  "  and  the  hand  relaxed  its  fervor  ; 
"  and  I  was  born  in  England."  Wilkie  let  go  Thomson's  hand 
altogether,  turned  his  back  on  him,  and  indulged  in  no  fur- 
ther conversation. 

It  is  said  that  when  the  42d  regiment  of  Scottish  High- 
landers were  at  Buenos  Ayres,  in  British  service,  one  of  them 
had  made  up  his  mind  to  remain  in  the  place  on  account  of 
the  great  fertility  of  the  soil,  when  one  of  his  companions  he;ir- 


348  RamhJes  through  the  British  Ides. 

ing  of  it,  came  with  the  bagpipes,  and  without  saying  any- 
thing, sat  down  beside  him,  and  played  "  Lochaber  nae  mair," 
on  which  he  instantly  started  to  his  feet,  exclaiming  :  "  What ! 
Lochaber  nae  mair  !  I  maun  gang  back,"  and  back  he  went 
to  the 

"  Land,  of  brown  heath  and  shaggy  •woods, 
Land  of  the  mountain  and  the  floods." 

As  a  whole  the  Scotch  are  singularly  cautious  in  business, 
reserved  in  manners  and  plain  in  speech.  And  for  these 
qualities  the  Scotchman  stands  as  a  proverb  all  the  world 
over.  "  His  Minerva  is  bom  in  a  panoply.  You  are  never  ad- 
mitted to  see  his  ideas  in  their  growth — if,  indeed,  they  do 
grow,  and  are  not  rather  put  together  upon  the  principles  of 
clock  work.  You  never  catch  his  mind  in  an  undress.  He 
never  hints  or  suggests  anything,  but  unlades  his  stock  of 
ideas  in  perfect  order  and  completeness.  He  brings  his  total 
wealth  into  company,  and  gravely  unpacks  it.  His  riches  are 
always  about  him.  He  never  stoops  to  catch  a  glittering 
something  in  your  presence,  to  share  it  with  you  before  he 
quite  knows  whether  it  be  true  to  touch  or  not.  You  cannot 
cry  halves  to  anything  that  he  finds ;  he  does  not  find,  but 
brings.  You  never  witness  his  first  apprehension  of  a  thing ; 
his  understanding  is  always  at  its  meridian — you  never 
see  the  first  dawn,  the  early  streaks.  He  has  no  faltering 
of  self- suspicion.  Surmises,  guesses,  misgivings,  half  intu- 
itions, semi-consiousness,  partial  illuminations,  dim  instincts, 
embryo  conceptions,  have  no  place  in  his  brain  or  vo- 
cabulary. The  twilight  of  dubiety  never  falls  upon  him.  Is 
he  orthodox — he  has  no  doubts.     Is  he  infidel — he  has  none 


Scotland  and  the 'Scotch.  349 

either.  Between  the  affinuativo  and  the  negative  there  is  no 
border  land  with  him.  You  cannot  hover  with  him  upon  the 
confines  of  truth,  or  wander  in  the  maze  of  a  probablo  argu- 
ment. He  always  keeps  the  path ;  you  cannot  make  excur- 
sions with  him,  for  he  sets  you  right.  His  taste  never  fluctu- 
ates, his  morality  never  abates  He  cannot  compromise  or 
understand  middle  actions :  there  can  be  but  a  right  and  a 
wrong.  His  conversation  is  as  a  book  ;  his  affirmations  have 
the  sailcity  of  an  oath.  You  must  speak  upon  the  square 
with  him.  Above  all,  you  must  beware  of  indii-ect  expressions 
before    a   Caledonian." 

Scotland  has  produced  many  sons  eminent  in  literature  and 
science  which  are  scarcely  surpassed  by  any  other  nation. 
And  first  on  the  list  might  be  mentioned  her  poets,  Drummond, 
Eamsey,  Burns,  Scott,  Campbell  and  others ;  among  her  his- 
torians, Buchanan,  Burnet,  Hume,  Eobei^on,  Russel  and 
Carlyle ;  among  her  philosophers,  Adam  Smith,  Rcid,  Kames, 
Stewart  and  Brown  ;  among  licr  men  of  science,  Napier,  Fer- 
guson, Gregory,  Hugh  Miller,  Eodorick  and  others ;  among 
lier  writers,  Boswell,  Smollet,  Mackenzie,  Blair,  Chambers, 
Cullen,  Abemethy,  Forbes  and  Brougham,  names  familifir  to 
the  world  at  large,  being  written  upon  all  its  movements- 
names  which  will  live  forever ! 


IPINIONS      OF     THE 


The  Author  of  this  beautiful  volume  opens  with  a  diary  of  his 
voyage  out,  which  is  graphically  described,  giving  the  uninitiated  in 
ocean  travel  a  vivid  idea  of  its  discomforts.  Following  this  are  the 
results  of  his  observations  in  Ireland,  England  and  Scotland,  describing 
places  of  historic  interests  and  peculiarities  of  the  people,  interspersed 
with  anecdotes  and  reflections  upon  their  social,  political  and  religious 
progress. 

It  is  perhaps  worthy  of  remark  that  although  so  much  has  been 
written  concerning  Albion,  Caledonia,  and  the  Emerald  Isle,  yet  the 
narrative  of  each  intelligent  traveler  who  has  surveyed  these  interest- 
ing countries  from  his  own  peculiar  stand-point  of  observation,  adds  to 
our  general  stock  of  information,  and  intensifies  our  desire  to  visit 
for  ourselves  the  land  of  our  ancestors.  As  it  is  only  in  imagination, 
however,  that  by  far  the  greater  proportion  of  us  American  people  can 
enjoy  trans- Atlantic  scenes,  a  well  written  narrative  of  travels  is  the 
best  companion  we  can  have  in  our  imaginative  rambles.  It  enables 
us,  as  it  were,  to  make  the  "  grand  tour"  in  the  retirement  of  our  own 
cosy  apartments,  while  at  the  same  time  we  incur  none  of  the  fatigues 
or  dangers  which  are  ei^v  incidental  to  real  journeying,  whether  by  sea 
or  by  land. 

IMi-.  Harcourt's  style  of  relating  the  particulars  of  his  travels,  is 
familiar,  agreeable,  and  to  the  point;  and  his  book  is  just  adapted  to 
ple-.i-antly  while  away  a  long  winter  evening,  either  to  read  to  one's 
self  or  to  a  circle  of  appreciative  lis:;eners. 

His  sketches  of  Londonderry,  the  Giant's  Causeway,  the  Vale  of 
Avoci,  Belfast,  Dublin,  and  "  Irel  mJ  and  the  Irish,"  are  graphic  and 
spirited,  interspersed  with  historic  reminiscences,  poetical  quotations 
and  specimens  of  Irish  humor. 

The  last  chapter  on  Ireland,  somewhat  philosophical  in  its  character, 
presents  several  prominent  caiises  for  Ireland's  poverty  and  degredation  ; 
and  no  one  can  read  without  emotion  a  history  of  the  wretchedness  to 
which  a  naturally  genial,  generous,  and  witty  people  are  unhappily 
reduced.  The  sincere  desires  of  every  compassionate  heart  will  be, 
that  the  cause  of  Ireland's  enthrallment  may  be  speedily  eradicated ; 
whether  that  cause   be  the   despotism  of  a  government ;  a  .burdensome 


and  superstitious  relig-ion ;   inteniporato   liabita,  superinduced  upon   a 
condition  of  sheer  misery ;  or  all  these  reasons  combined. 

In  the  chapters  on  the  great  world  of  London,  embracing  its  Tower 
its  magnificent  "Wren  house  (St.  Paul's  Cathedral),  Westminster  Abbey, 
the  British  Museum,  Windsor  Castle  and  Sydenham  Palace,  the  author 
fairly  carries  us  away  with  him.  Wo  are  almost  beguiled  into  the 
belief  that  we  are  viewing  the  mementoes  of  bloody  deeds  in  tlio  Tower  • 
that  we  are  standing  among  England's  mighty  dead,  in  her  great  na- 
tional mausoleum  ;  that  we  are  ranging  through  the  superb  apartments 
of  the  royal  residence ;  and  that  in  St.  Paul's  we  arc  obeying  the  injunc- 
tion "  circitmspicc,"  as  we  ask  for  the  great  Sir  Christopher's  monument. 

An  extended  and  interesting  account  is  given  of  the  celebrated 
English  preacher,  Spurgeon ;  his  style  of  preaching,  his  mode  of  con- 
ducting services,  his  immense  tabernacle,  and  the  sublime  and  imposing 
spectacle  of  seven  thousand  persons  listening  to  the  ministrations  of 
one  man. 

There  is  a  chai-ming  chapter  on  the  "  Haunts  of  Royalty,"  giving 
us  descriptions  of  Buckingham  Palace,  Lambeth,  Whitehall,  and 
Hampton  Court.  Then  we  have  another  chapter  scarcely  less  enter- 
taining on  the  "  Graves  of  the  Great  and  Good,"  and  among  them 
particular  mention  is  made  of  the  graves  of  Wesley,  Bunyau,  Watts, 
Newton,  Milton,  Pope,  Thompson,  &c., — with  several  affecting  epitaphs. 
A  condensed  description  of  Oxford,  with  her  famous  university  and 
nineteen  separate  colleges,  conveys  much  valuable  information  in 
regard  to  the  constitutions  of  the  several  colleges,  and  the  relation 
they  sustain  to  the  university. 

After  a  chapter  on  "  England  and  the  English,"  the  panoramic 
scenes  are  shifted  to  the  country  of  Sir  Walter  and  Bobbie  Bums. 
Scotland,  the  land  of  song  and  romance,  is  treated  of  under  a  number 
of  separate  heads,  each  one  of  which  whets  the  appetite  for  a  knowledge 
of  its  following  contents.  Nor  docs  a  careful  perusal  of  the  separate 
chapters  disappoint  expectation.  The  author  explores  Glasgow  and 
Edinburgh  with  the  enthusiasm  of  a  traveler,  and  presents  us  with 
well  drawn  satisfactory  sketches  of  their  main  attractions.  We  get 
some  familiar  and  distinct  impressions  of  these  cities  of  the  Scotch, 
and  shovdd  we,  years  hence,  visit  them  for  ourselves,  they  will  seem  to 
us  in  some  degree  as  places  we  have  seen  before,  and  are  now  revisiting. 

Approaching  the  end  of  the   book,  we  are  regaled  with   descriptive 


accounts  of  three  memorable  places,  tlie  mere  names  of  wliich  will  ever 
charm  all  true  lovers  of  history  and  romance.  These  places  are  Holy- 
rood  Palace,  Melrose  Abbey  and  Abbotsford.  A  chapter  is  devoted  to 
each,  and  when  we  have  finished  reading  them,  we  only  regret  that  the 
author  had  not  lingered  longer  among  these  deeply  interesting  scenes, 
and  told  us  a  longer  story. — From  a  review  in  the  Newark  Advertiser. 

The  sketches  are  exceedingly  well  drawn,  and  will  be  read  with  no 
little  interest,  even  by  those  who  are  familiar  with  the  localities  and 
route  described.  The  book  abounds  in  information.  The  author  evi- 
dently travels  with  his  eyes  and  ears  open. — Christian  Advocate. 

An  interesting  and  agreeable  account  of  a  vacation  tour,  handsomely 
printed  and  well  illustrated. — The  Independent. 

The  observations  of  the  author  are  fresh  and  interesting.  The  work 
is  beautifully  printed  and  handsomely  bound. — Home  Journal. 

A  book  got  up  in  good  style,  with  many  fine  illustrations.  The 
author  graphically  describes  the  manners  and  customs  of  the  people, 
and  gives  sketches  of  objects  of  interest. — The  Methodist. 

To  an  unusually  keen  observation,  Mr.  Harcourt  adds  great  facility 
in  communicating  the  results  to  others  in  an  agreeable  way.  We 
have  read  it  with  great  interest  and  cheerfully  recommend  it  to  others 
as  a  most  instructive  compend  of  useful  information  relating  to  Great 
Britain. — Baibj  Advertiser. 

"  The  book  is  genial,  natural,  pure,  and  altogether  interesting." — 
Central  Christian  Advocate. 

"  The  book  is  made  up  of  instructive,  descriptive  and  racy  sketches 
of  scenery  and  events  in  the  United  Kingdom.  It  will  afford  agreeable 
and  profitable  entertainment." — Weste,rn  Advocate. 

"  The  Author  traveled  over  three  lands  with  his  eyes  open."-^iVor<A 
Western  Advocate. 

"  It  is  a  very  interesting  and  useful  work — an  ornament  to  any  Li- 
brary."— National  Agriculturist. 


14  DAY  USE 

RETURN  TO  DESK  FROM  WHICH  BORROWED 

LOAN  DEPT. 

This  book  is  due  on  the  last  date  stamped  below, 
or  on  the  date  to  which  renewed.  Renewals  only: 

Tel.  No.  642-3405 
Renewals  may  be  made  4  days  prior  to  date  due. 
Renewed  books  are  subject  to  immediate  recall. 


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